Paths & Choices
by legacyZero
Summary: [Discontinued] Slowly tainted, Shinji now lives his second life as Death. Will he succeed or perish? Only time will tell...
1. Unknown Destination

Disclaimer: I do not own evangelion or any character which is created for it. All author created characters are mine. Evangelion belongs to its respective owners. This fic is merely for entainment purposes and not profit. BTW , This is my first dark fic & story; all comments & constructive critism can be directed to heero1989@hotmail.com.   
  
Paths & Choices  
  
Chapter 1 : Unknown Destination  
  
Eveing had begun cast its pitch black cover over the horizon and the pinnacle of the human spirit; Toyko-3. The sun was leaving its place to allow night to bestow silence. The stars were faintly visible in the sky , making the skies a bit pleasant from the depair darkness which will soon to come. The high movable sky scrappers of the city lit the artificial exsistence to ward off the darkness. But try as they might , they were none the less engulfed by the abyss.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Shinji Ikari, The Infamous Pilot of EVA Unit 1, the killer of Angels (despite what Asuka says), returned home from the stressful life called school. Being 'persuaded' (read death threats) by Asuka to clean the apartment & make her lunch in the early hours of the morning , Shinji was left lunch-less. Stomach growling , Shinji prepared a small snack for himself.  
  
Shinji ate in silence as he observed his living surroundings which he lived in the past ten months. His eyes landing on the beer can littered area of Pen Pen's door, he guessed that the water fowl was probably still in the hangover which was incurred by draining 5 Yebisu cans of their stock.  
  
It would take a while for Asuka to come home , he thought idly ; his eyes seeing the small yellow note on the fridge delcaring death threats if "Baka Shinji" entered her room.  
  
As there was nothing to do , the being known as Shinji Ikari comtemplated on his current reason of exsistence.  
  
Of course , life had been relatively peaceful as the unknown aliens called Angels ceased to bother them for some unexplained reason. He relished the change of pace. He thought he could live a normal quiet life with the passage of time. Asuka and Ayanami's reactions to this was upmost rage & disappointment and cool indifference. He somehow could not shake off the feeling that his life was going to change.   
  
He didn't know how ironic his statment was.   
  
~~~~~~~  
  
" Beer after dinner is GREAT!"   
  
Misato was obiviously drinking. Again.  
  
"BAKA!! GO CLEAN THE DISHES !!! BAKA HENTAI!"  
  
Asuka was venting hate and rage at him. Again.  
  
As with traitional Shinji-like behavoir , he obeyed without grudge nor hate. Again.   
  
No matter what he do to please her, she still would not value his kindness.   
  
Shinji immediately went to the kitchen without delay with these thoughts , in fear that he may suffer for no reason at the hands the 'demon' which Touji & Kensuke dubbed as Asuka's pet name; of course they suffered reprisals when they uttered it while she was in ear shot . With his experience at doing domestic jobs , Shinji washed the dishes with relative ease. Drained from the day , he quietly excused himself to his room. Not that any of his room mates noticed though.  
  
Shinji was unusually tired. He felt that the nagging feeling in his mind increasing ten fold with every passing second , but with every second his sense of reasoning was fading. Every fibre of his body screamed for him to fall on the bed ,every nerve and muscule ready to rest   
  
from tension.   
  
Shinji was really unaware when his head hit the pillow.   
  
But sleep would not be his tonight.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji stirred , opening his eyes in an effort to eye his surroundings. The room he was in was.... ,in his opinion,... primitive. One would come to that conclusion pretty quickly as there were candles lighting the room instead of electric lights. A book shelve containing various books in strange languages, was placed at the end of the table he was currently sitting in front of. There seemed to be no exit as the stone walls gave restrictions but not a way out.  
  
Seeing no way to pass time , he grabbed the most understandable book and flipped a page and began reading.  
  
And with the shifts of time , one by one , they fell. And so the Order of The Passing was reduced to nothing more than a fading memory , forgotten by all. Only one survived the tragedy; His name was Araezl. Kingdoms of the Dreams sought to bind the last remaining being who controls life and death to their will but alas for he has only brought death and destruction to their lands. What lies in peace, must not awake .   
  
Shinji frowned. He felt the phrase was strangely familiar , but he could not place his finger on it. But his thoughts were cut short as he felt that he was not alone in the small room.  
  
" I once didn't know that means too , just like you , Shinji Ikari." Shinji was startled, it was as if the voice knew of what went through his mind. Instinctively he turned his body to face the voice. He felt that proper greeting was not due in this mysterious place. " Who are you ?"  
  
Dressed in black or what seemed like grey robes as the lighting was dim , the man had whitish blonde locks falling from his face. His face was chisled with youth and maturity but there were a few lines which spoke otherwise. But his His eyes were of emerald green , piercing through layers but presents no real threat. His lips ,now in a smile already gives a good impression.   
  
" I am known by many names , but you can call me Sargaus." He bowed , displaying a hint of mockery. " I am here to offer you a choice , wheather you take it or not , depends on you."  
  
"What do you want from me?" Apparently , Shinji noticed that he had been rather rude to someone he has barely known for some strange reason. "Umm....."  
  
"Its Ok , my presence often do that to livin-" Sargaus immediately stopped after he noticed his slip. He had not intended to let his status known so early.  
  
Shinji can't really help thinking that he would die. The fact that he would standing in front of Death itself didn't really calm him.  
  
"You catch on pretty fast....for a mortal." He paused for a moment as if rerading his thoughts. He motioned toward the seats and table. " Anyway lets get comfortable before continuing."  
  
Shinji observed him , for a moment , before moving on to his own seat. He knew what ever the man before him had to offer came at a price. He also noticed that the spirit had a previously- not-around wine glass.   
  
"I want you to be my sucessor. Clean and simple. No strings attached."   
  
Shinji was confused to put it simply. Never in his life had anybody offered him anything but pain and suffering , so he was interested. " What do you mean?"  
  
Sargaus sighed, fiddling with the wine glass with motion, before continuing. " I want you to become Death, the Grim Reaper or Shinigami for your better understanding."  
  
"But...but...." Even a dream can't stop Shinji from being himeself. "....Why me?" Logic slipped him when he was trying find a reason as to why this man...no..being was offering him a chance to become a real infamous myth toward all living man. "Can't you find someone else for it?"  
  
Sargaus merely sipped his wine.  
  
"You are the first candiate for the job and...." He paused as to allow his senses to enjoy the taste. "Besides, your soul & will are both pure and unrestrained ; willing to follow and yet do what is right." Sargarus sipped his wine glass. " Perfectly suited for the job." He saw the uncertainty in Shinji eyes and proceeded to assure him. " Fear not , it will neither turn you into a souless being , living on hate and revenge nor I am a mindless demon from Hell." Oliviously , Shinji was not really any less skeptical about the offer than he was just a few moments ago.  
  
Shinji found himself speechless , he knew he couldn't take the job. He had no desire to end life but he knew the job was what he was searching for ; a chance to end other people's suffering. But outside , he seemed almost petrified.   
  
" There is no need to answer now ,young one..." Sargaus turned to leave. " I will come again to get your answer in three days time."  
  
Before Shinji could even open his mouth , Sargaus contiuned. " On the third day , you will feel light and faint but do not worry , it is just a preparation if you decide to accept my offer, if not , then the spell will wear off in time."  
  
Within a moment of a second , the being known as Sargaus , disappeared from sight.   
  
Shinji didn't have any time to contemplate on what had transpired , as his vision blurred.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"WAKE UP , BAKA!!!" The familar voice of a certainly annoying red head rang through his head. " AND MAKE ME MY BREAKFAST!!!"  
  
Though disgruntled by Asuka's rude "awakening" , he still remembered the deal the shadowy character had offered him.  
  
Yes , he would think about it. Later.  
  
TBC   
  
Finally , its done!! A quick author's note, I plan to make this a bit darker for evangelion is at its best with angst. All comments can be sent to heero1989@hotmail.com. Plz review if you like the story! Thanks! 


	2. Clear Route of Will

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1 for full disclaimer. Me no own evangelion. Author's pre note: A thousand thanks to all who reviewed , I will try to make the upcoming chapters longer for your viewing pleasure.  
  
To jennyjennai : Since it was happening before the third impact , Asuka still had unresolved feelings towards Shinji. So that made her more 'bitchy'. Hopefully , in future chapters , Asuka won't be that mean. Plus , Shinji needed 'motivation'.  
  
Paths & Choices : Clear Route Of Will  
  
The late afternoon sun was bright , but it went unnoticed by a certain person. Once again , the sun will soon give way to night. Despite the fast occurence , it was a welcomed change.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji was unresolved over his decision. He had already gathered all his reasons to accept the offer by today ; The day of Judgement. But something was keeping him from fully embracing it.  
  
Time past quickly for him as he lay on the motionless , staring at the ceiling for an answer. It was alright though, as his mind wanted to find an answer. How fitting that a simple answer would eventually turn his life into a complicating puzzle.  
  
He had every reason to accept the offer. He knew that there was no future for him as his father's chess piece. He didn't want to be used. Not by Asuka . Not by his Father. Not by anyone. His features hardened at that line of thought.  
  
But yet his decision on the matter was still clouded. His mind was in conflict as it gave valid reasons on why it should reject and accept it , the latter more than the former. He still had until night fall so it didn't really matter.  
  
It all came down to a simple question. Will you care if I die?  
  
Sargaus was right. He did feel light and happy.  
  
Shinji merely smiled at the thought. He also started humming 'Ode to Joy'.  
  
Wonderful.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Asuka was hungry , and to feed the hunger , she had to go to the kitchen.  
  
And into the kitchen she went , trying to find something edible. To her dismay , the fridge only contained Misato's unlimited supply of beer. Apparently , Misato's definition of "edible" is anything drinkable and alcoholic.  
  
Deciding to call the baka , she went straight towards his room , preparing a fire storm to guarantee her sucess of forcing Shinji to make her a snack. She hesitated though , before entering his room , now having second thoughts as she recalled what he said at dinner yesterday.  
  
If you have the perfect chance , you would grab it , wouldn't you?  
  
Regardless of what she thought of it , she couldn't push the gut feeling that something wrong was going to happen. She quickly quashed the thought as soon as it arised. She wasn't part of the royal knights, for nothing.  
  
With this renewed courage , she opened the door....only to find her lose it. The lights were off , the only lightning which was found were from the evening sun and even that was still outdone by the black depths of his room. She had never seen Shinji so calm and collected except when he was sleeping during their training; she was glad that his eyes were facing the ceiling. But what unnerved her was the unnatural silence. The rays of the setting sun on his face gave him a almost angelic porprty. Usually , Shinji would stutter and blabber when she entered his room. But instead , he held a face of a content person.  
  
Uncertainy was on her face , as she realised that she stared at the baka. She tried to cover it up by thinking of something insulting to say. But unknown to Asuka, Shinji only registered her presence. He also felt it was the right time to ask the question which would determine his fate. Once again , she would be shocked.  
  
"Asuka , would you care if I die?"  
  
She was taken back but did not display it ; Why did Baka-Shinji keep asking her strange questions? But seeing the chance for a cover up for her pride , she ignored it; Her pride was the most important thing to her. Now without any moral restriction , she readied herself in the defense of her pride. Her face twisted into rage and mockery as swung her hand to deliver the coup de grace.  
  
Pride which she will regret having.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
A hard resounding slap was felt on his skin.  
  
Shinji barely felt it though.  
  
His ears were not spared though.  
  
"Why would you think that , I ,Soryu Asuka Langely , would even bother about your worthless exsistence!" Asuka huffled , flipping a lock of her auburn hair. She had long thrown all consideration into the wind.  
  
" Why I even grace you with my presence is a mystery!"  
  
One could detect that venom was dripping by the galleons from her words , with that she left the room. Had she noticed , a lone tear skipped down his cheek.  
  
That really hurt. Sure , he had endured many scenarios such as this but it had hurt. To hear her say neither concern nor care about his presence rwally delivered the death blow.  
  
From the outside , Shinji still had that content look , but in the inside it was a totally different matter all together.  
  
His heart was broken to put it simply. He had hoped that Asuka would at least show some sort of compassion in her answer. Her words hurt more than the slap , stabbing his heart a thousand times. He thought that his room mate for 11 months would actually concern for him ,but of course, pride can do those things to people.  
  
Patience was said to be in great reserve for Shinji , but venom can melt through no matter how thick. For the first time in many years , Shinji cried.  
  
Without any reason to stay behind on the plane of the living , Shinji awaits the third day to give his reply. He needed something to justify his passing , and that did the trick. Though it was a painful process , he needed to know wheather it was worth staying. Obiviously , he knew the answer long ago.  
  
He quickly went into slumber , awaiting Death's arrival.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
From the office of the Supreme Commander of NERV , Gendo and Fuyutsuki were playing chess. A favourite thing to do when one needs to pass time. Business was often discussed during the game.  
  
Gendo Ikari hardly makes a mistake.  
  
But there are exceptions. Like now.  
  
" Have we obtained the scrolls?" The Commander of NERV asked his second in command , moving his knight for the kill.  
  
" The Scrolls of Casli are now in our pocession." Fuyutsuki said. " It was regrettable that the tablet of Adaria fell into SEELE's hands." He had placed his bishop to counter the knights advance.  
  
" Nonetheless , the scrolls were secured." Gendo placed his hand to his chin, analyzing the situation with countless possibilities. " Even if they have the tablet , it is useless without the knowledge of the scrolls."  
  
He had a small smile. A sly smile which was usually reserved victory. Fuyutsuki sighed as he had underestimated Gendo. Again.  
  
He had to quickly readjust his plans. With the Third Impact postponed until god knows when , and the discovery of new prophecies and scrolls , SEELE had been thrown into a council of chaos and bickering. He was a step ahead of them by aquiring the Scrolls of Casli. The tablet had merely been a extension of the scrolls , providing indirect information on the very brief prophencic sentences. He will find out the cause of the delay.  
  
Fuyutsuki knew it was time to break the bad news to him. Time to face the music.  
  
" But our agent said that another person-likely a operative for SEELE , had gotten to the location first ." Fuyutsuki said. " He reported that a unknown creature chased after the agent. Probably guarding the scrolls. And I highly doubt that it is from our plane of exsistence." He carefully left out the descriptive death of the would-be SEELE agent by the hands of the unearthly monster.  
  
Fuyutsuki regarded the bold move with caution.  
  
" Still , it was fortunate that he managed to get the scrolls , considering his circumstances." Gendo let out a rare sigh of relief. " I shall have to go back to the Plane of Dreams to find out more about our situation."  
  
" Check." Gendo blinked. It was rare when he made a costly mistake.  
  
" I don't think so , Sensei. The loss of my queen won't happen again. I assure you."  
  
Fuyutsuki knew his former student was troubled. He wouldn't make such a oblivious mistake unless he was distracted. Both he and Gendo hadn't counted on the interference of demonic or supernatural forces. If any at all. They both knew the countless complications if it was true. Plans had to be rearranged , adaptation of the scenario to suit the current situation were the least troublesome of .  
  
" The translation of the scrolls is progressing smoothly. We would have our answers by next week." Still , worry was evident on his mind. He knew that while the scrolls may present an answer , it also can bring forth unanswerable questions. The Dead Sea Scrolls took them a long time to understand and predict the coming events. What new revelation could come from it?  
  
" Don't worry too much , old friend. Our questions will be answered in time."  
  
" Yes , for now we must wait." Fuyutsuki sighed. " But that IS the only thing we can do.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji found himself in room where he had previously been 3 days ago.  
  
Patiently , he waited for Death.  
  
And within a few moments , a voice which belonged to Sargaus spoke.  
  
" I see that I have kept you waiting. I apologise."  
  
" Don't worry , I hadn't been waiting long."  
  
" I suppose you have an answer for me." Sargaus sipped his wine. " But if you still want to reconsider I won't mind."  
  
" My answer is......" Shinji paused , thinking carefully. "..yes. I accept your offer."  
  
Sargaus simply smiled. It wasn't one of joy nor mocking. It was grim but in a friendly way.  
  
" In that case , Shinji Ikari , follow me. You have much to learn." With a wave of his hand , a blue portal appeared. " Say what you need to your loved ones , I will make sure they hear it."  
  
" Misato , Asuka , goodbye." Though he thought that was impossible , he said it anyways. " May we never see each other again." With that done , both of them entered the portal , and it simply blinked out of exsistence.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
With his last breath , Shinji Ikari died. Both Asuka and Misato burst into his room shortly after. Both of them muttered that it couldn't be true .But no matter how hard they cried , Shinji still did not move. But they knew deep down , he was gone.  
  
TBC  
  
Author's blah blah: Finally done!! I have to make it short (the note i mean): Shinji may be a bit OCC but it is for the plot! If I could , I would add more angst to it. With that I have no complains. All comments , ideas , flames can be send to heero1989@hotmail.com . 


	3. Ascension

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.  
  
Author's notes: Whoa! 27 reviews! I can't believe how much people are interested in this fic! Thank you all for your support :) !!! Finally , I present chapter 3! Enjoy!  
  
Paths & Choices: Ascension  
  
" Ikari , the autopsy has been completed." Fuyutsuki sighed. " It said that your son died during sleep. It seemed that all body functions stopped at 2200 hours.(1)"  
  
" I see, it was regrettable that we lost the third child , but the plans will be readjusted." Gendo had read the reports. His son's death came rather surprisingly , so he was beginning to suspect that foul play was involved.  
  
" Give the Major a day off , she wouldn't be any use to us in her present state."  
  
" Yes , sir." Fuyutsuki sighed. This wasn't his day.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
A breath taking view of a grassy plain came into view. Shinji could feel the breeze flowing across his skin. He had never felt so attuned to nature before.  
  
He was dressed in brown robes , his long sleeves had ancient runes upon them. Sargaus was dressed in his usual black robes. Both of them had a slight contrast against the green back drop.  
  
Sargaus decided to give him a tour of all existing planes. He didn't know that so many realms existed.  
  
" This is the Plane of Dreams," He said. " This is where you will spend most of your time. This plane of existence has the same basic principals. Food and sleep is needed but you can manipulate it like in our realm. It is limited, of course. You can say that the Plane of Dreams is like the Plane of Mortals. "  
  
Rising his hand out in front of him , a sword materialized into existence as if to state a point.  
  
" And on a social note , do not wear your robes in this plane especially near big cities and kingdoms." Sargaus pointed at Shinji's robes. " Somehow, the mage guilds developed a magical sensor net to detect unnatural energies given out by beings such as ourselves."  
  
He continued. " There are 5 planes , other than this one. Heaven is a plane but it has only one city. It is the greatest bastion of power and the only deterrent if Hell decides to invade. Paradise , as the name suggest ,is where souls of men of goodwill go."  
  
Shinji knew that getting a permanent job such as Death , wasn't easy. But he didn't know how tedious it was in reality.  
  
" And finally, Hell. The third place you can enter without permission , but the demons there will kill you if they see you. Even I can barely hold my ground against them. And finally, the Plane of Mortals which I am sure you are familiar with. "  
  
By then , Sargaus was already grinning. Shinji had found out first hand that his mentor had a twisted sense of humor.  
  
" Yes , is there something wrong?"  
  
He quickly returned to the topic. " Its getting late , we had better get back to the realm. I will teach you magic when we get back."  
  
Since Death's realm was small , in comparison to the planes , it had eluded detection until now. As Sargaus was Death for the time being , teaching Shinji the ropes , he and Shinji felt awkward by calling it Death's realm. So, they simply called it 'the realm'.  
  
With a flick of his wrist , they were gone.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Gendo was feared. Both in the real world and in the plane of dreams.  
  
While other mages were respected for their discoveries and dedication, he was known for ruthlessness and his mastery over the shadow arts.  
  
He was a very powerful mage; he can sense where and when anyone uses unnatural magic. Even with a barrier to nullify the senses , he could sense it.  
  
He felt an incredible amount of energy somewhere nearby. He frowned at the air in front of him.  
  
Impossible! No one has that much power! He thought.  
  
He will look into it.  
  
But for now, he has other pressing matters to take care of.  
  
With that, he resumed his journey through the busy streets of Lorthain.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
" Take your pick , Shadow , Time , Earth or Fire.  
  
They were in a spacious library , filled with priceless books of wisdom and knowledge. A table made of fine wood stood in the middle, allowing comfortable reading and research.  
  
Shinji recalled what Sargaus said to him. Magic depended on the user's soul. He said that Shadow , Time and Earth were suited for him but Fire can't be used unless he was determined or enraged about something.  
  
Shinji soon made up his mind.  
  
" Shadow magic." Sargaus then placed his hand on Shinji's head.  
  
A sudden rush of spells, usage , techniques and anything related to Shadow magic was imbedded into his mind. Experience and memories that were not his flashed across his mind , soon they were integrated into his subconscious.  
  
" Now , try an attack spell."  
  
Shinji hesitated, but a various amount of choices flooded his mind. He chose one and performed the spell.  
  
" Good, the transfer was successful then."  
  
Shinji found himself staring at the spherical mass of grey energy. Dull flames licked over the surface of the ball as it gently floated above his palm. He was fascinated but Sargaus broke his thoughts.  
  
" Now dissipate the spell." Seeing that Shinji let the ball disappear, he continued. " Now, what's your next choice?"  
  
" Time magic." Shinji said. " The rest are too destructive for me."  
  
Sargaus sighed. " All right then." He placed his hand on Shinji's head.  
  
Once again , Shinji was assaulted by the overwhelming flow of knowledge when using this particularly dangerous form of magic. The only difference was that the process was much shorter.  
  
He also felt uncomfortable but he shrugged it off.  
  
" My knowledge about Time and its powers are limited but here's one piece of advice. Time magic is activated instinctively. So unless you have mastered a good portion of it , you can't use certain skill unless your mind somehow wills it. Think of it as a passive skill." He sighed. " On the plus side , you can learn more about it from the books in the library."  
  
" Now, I will impart to you Grey magic. Magic spells which have no definite class all belong to it. The spells at hand are vast, ranging from spells which can greatly boost your survivability to your strength in combat. It is the basic of the basic for us."  
  
Sargaus placed his hand on Shinji's head , a light glow surrounding both teacher and student.  
  
Shinji was again bombarded by a flood of information. He tried his best to not get lost in the endless mass of data but his efforts were in vain as he eventually lost it. It wasn't long before it was completed.  
  
He panted tiredly when the process was done, taking in deep breaths of air to his lungs.  
  
" Don't worry , you will be fine within a couple of minutes." Sargaus assured. " You have learnt all that is required for you to do your job properly."  
  
" Shinji," His tone suddenly serious. " While we are myths in your original plane , we are feared and hunted here. We are not killers. We are guardians of the dead, the Keepers of knowledge. Those who hunt us are those of greed and cunning , who will kill you without a thought for power."  
  
Shinji didn't say anything. He already knew his fate was one of chaos.  
  
" Truth be told , no one is immortal. We are what you call demi-gods. Though we have vast powers, even we can crumble under the might of many. So we act under the cloak of secrecy. We are neither good nor evil, for Death is still a pawn for unknown hands."  
  
Shinji didn't speak as he dwelled silently on his words.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
" The scrolls have been transferred to Terminal Dogma."  
  
" Good. What about Project Leviaton?"  
  
" The first prototype will be completed next month."  
  
" Excellent. What any news from the other side?"  
  
" Demonic activity has increased. Negative energies have also increased two fold."  
  
" It seems that Death has a new successor. This will prove most interesting."  
  
" What about the guilds, Ikari? After that stunt you pulled, they are worried that you are another demon impersonation."  
  
" They won't do a single thing , Fuyutsuki. My demonstration has persuaded them to back off."  
  
" I pray that you are right. SEELE is getting more shrewd, Ikari."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji wandered the dark streets of Lorthain , turning to check his back every few minutes. The once active streets were now deserted ,now fully devoted to directing hostility at him at every turn. It made him a bit queasy but he figured that walking was better than standing in the dim lighted street. It seemed to him , that every alley or dead end , there were people participating in not so legal activities. But he sensed that everyone was minding their own business ,in fact, practically every presence he felt were avoiding him in someway or another.  
  
Shinji wondered why Sargaus sent him into the city. When approached , he merely replied that it was a test. A test of what? He could only imagine.  
  
There was a sudden change in atmosphere. It changed from dangerous to foreboding. By now, Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, sweat started to form on his brow as he unconsciously knew what was going to happen. He felt unnerving auras increase in density with each step he took. Time seemed to slow for him as he moved forward with heavy steps.  
  
He knew it was time.  
  
He knew what kind test he had given him.  
  
A test of survival. Straight and simple.  
  
It came suddenly.  
  
His instincts took over as he dodged the blow. Quickly , he summoned his scythe to block any more attacks from his assailant. Without wasting any time , his attacker quickly closed in for another blow , letting out a war cry. The sound of crashing metal was heard as Shinji blocked in earnest with his scythe. It was the first time Shinji saw the man's eyes. They were dull grey; lifeless. And Shinji saw through them and saw nothing but greed and lust for power.  
  
He tilted his head a bit to the side, noticing a glint of sharp lethal metal in the darkness behind him. It was then , when he felt something inside of his mind snap.  
  
Time slowed as he sidestepped the back attack , bringing his blade backwards to rend flesh. With a sickening 'squish' , the man had been disemboweled. Blood spattered the street , most of it staining his brown robes. Blood lust was present his eyes , as he turned his attention to his other attacker.  
  
He jumped back , preparing a magical spell. His attacker charged , not knowing his folly. Immediately ,Shinji let out a dark ball of energy from his palm. The ball traveled at high speeds , leaving dust trailing in its wake. It collided with the man , sending him crashing in a building. He observed his situation. He calmed down enough to think logically.  
  
He was tired.  
  
Very tired.  
  
Shinji quickly fled the scene.  
  
He did not notice a pair of crimson eyes looking at him.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Sargaus sat in his favorite rocking chair.  
  
Though his eyes were closed , he felt a familiar shift of aura in the air. Shinji was back.  
  
" How was the test?"  
  
" Tiring. You could have given a much simpler task."  
  
He opened his eyes , and saw that Shinji was drenched in blood. He merely smiled. " I trust that you followed my advice?"  
  
Shinji frowned. " Yes , but I still think that it was not necessary, but I can't turn back now , can't I?"  
  
At this , Sargaus smile widened. " Then , congratulations , Shinji Ikari. You passed your first test."  
  
To Be Continued.  
  
Author's Blah Blah: Rei and Asuka may appear in the next chapter, in the dream lands ,of course. Shinji funeral is also in the next chapter. I did better work on it now. Thanks again to the wonderful people call reviewers! I luv u all!!  
  
(1) It means 10 P.M 


	4. Meetings Of Chance

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Short and simple. Now stop flooding my mail box with lawyer letters.  
  
Paths & Choices : Meetings of Chance  
  
The sky was bleak, Rain poured boundlessly from dark clouds floating in the equally dark sky. Over the city called Tokyo-3 , rain poured. Dancing in an unorganized way, making musical sounds randomly. They danced merrily, ignoring the funeral of someone they didn't know.  
  
It was fitting though as the weather described the mood.  
  
A small procession was taking place. In honor and gratitude for the Third Child. Shinji's death was quiet as possible by NERV , so as to not to "attract any unwanted attention". Asuka loudly objected to this however, but a quick glare from Commander Ikari quickly put her back into her place, as much as she would hate to admit. Thankfully, he bother when she told Hikari, who in turned told that slimeball jock and nerdy military fanboy.  
  
Asuka, however berating them countless time before, did not have the strength or conviction to argue with them today. Both parties were relieved at that undisclosed fact.  
  
And there they were. Dressed in funeral garb. Standard Black attire. Number one mood killer at funerals. Of course, funerals were meant to be sad. Asuka and Misato were dressed in black dresses both of them holding umbrellas to keep them dry. But this was the least of their concerns at the moment.  
  
Hikari, Touji and Kensuke had left earlier, all of them saying they had what-not to do. She didn't blame them though, as they did not have any free time unlike her and Misato. A black tombstone with inscribed lettering indicated where he was to be buried. It read:  
  
Here lies:  
  
IKARI, SHINJI  
  
2000-2016  
  
Your actions have helped save Humanity,  
Your efforts will not be in vain. May you  
Rest in peace.  
  
The coffin was simple; the only redeeming feature was the glass that showed Shinji resting with both his hands placed on his stomach. The coffin was not lowered yet as they were still saying their final goodbyes, unspoken words now spoken. But all is in vain, for the lone cloaked figure walking over to the coffin, does not hear them. Unfazed by the dropping rain, he proceeds with an air of grace to the coffin. He takes off his hood, revealing to face of Shinji Ikari. His eyes are totally blank, ignoring Misato and Asuka, as he was non-existent to them.  
  
He places a hand on the glass. It glows lightly for a moment before fading off. With the deed done, he turns to leave.  
  
Once again, he disappears from sight.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
In a lone run-down apartment located in the construction district of the city, its sole occupant was currently lying on the bed stark naked.  
  
Ayanami Rei was considered a person of many strange traits, such as the blue hair and equally puzzling red eyes. But many didn't know the truth about her existence, so they just labeled her ' one of those weird people'. In truth, she was fully capable of harboring emotions but she couldn't find a way express them. Her 'upbringing' made sure of that.  
  
But her thoughts were now in a jumble as she seeked to find an answer to her question.  
  
Shouldn't Ikari-kun be dead?  
  
If not, why I am uncomfortable when I was near him?  
  
Shouldn't I be happy that he is alive?  
  
What is this feeling?  
  
Is it dread....or was it fear? Perhaps, I should ask the Commander.  
  
But I will protect Ikari-kun, no matter what.  
  
Having resolved the problem, the albino quickly dressed and left for NERV Headquarters.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji was pondering about his visit to the funeral, but his thoughts were cut short.  
  
"I suppose today I will teach you the basics of information gathering."  
  
Shinji was currently walking down a street filled with an ungodly amount of people, though he and his teacher had a bit of breathing space, he felt that it was too close for comfort. He was nervous; not because of the fact that the lesson could very well turn out to be a 'test', a very dangerous one at that. The standards that Saragus set for him to achieve were unbelievable but he completely understood the man's intentions.  
  
So far, he hadn't failed any of them yet. But he wasn't planning to, mind you.  
  
The main reason for his skittish nervousness was very simple. And for a good reason, one might add.  
  
Walking down a busy street, with thieves around at every corner, ready to get your pouch of coins for less than reasonable use wasn't comforting to experience. But the thieves were not of his main concern but the consequences were. Granted, losing the coins wasn't much but Sargaus would reprimand him with his ire. An experience he would rather not have. The tests he had been given had sharpened his senses and hardened his will. No longer was he the meek boy who bent to just anyone's will.  
  
Yes, he had changed but only his resolve and will did.  
  
His musings ceased to continue when his teacher stopped, pointing to something at the side of the quite busy street. It was then, he noticed, that it was a tavern. The building itself was old, showing cracks along the walls, It was clearly shown that the owner didn't bother about maintaining the buildings presentability. It was closed; however, as business was slow during the day compared to the night.  
  
"This is where information flows through like a river, though looks can be deceiving, the shadier the place looks, the better the chances of finding what you are searching for."  
  
Sargaus was met with a disbelieving look which screamed 'You got to be joking!!!!'.  
  
Instantly, he smiled. "Don't worry, it's safe, I promise. Besides, is this the reward I get after giving you a clue for your next test?" He then turned his innocent smile into a sly grin.  
  
It lingered for a moment before his lips turned back to its neutral state.  
  
"In any case, bar houses, pubs, taverns are great places information slips. It varies from regions and kingdoms, depending on what you are after." He turned to leave. "You have free time until the afternoon; I suggest you spend it well."  
  
Once again, his teacher disappeared in the sea of moving people. He sighed , knowing that going back to the realm would prove boring , despite the vast knowledge held within its library. He figured it was best to explore the city as he rarely had free time.  
  
Sargaus was right. He would use the time wisely.  
  
But first, he would need to change. He looked at the attire he wore. Brown and dull, the looked like rags. And it was just that. It was commonly worn by peasants, but he had not been asked to wear that for humiliation. It was a disguise to attract very little attention to the student and teacher, for if they were wearing their robes, the trip would have been cut short.  
  
Yes, he would change. But not in front the prying eyes of the populace.  
  
With, that Shinji, like his teacher, wandered off into the crowd, seemingly lost in the sea of people, exploring the city to spend his time.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
There were many possible reasons and theories on why Asuka was so prideful and simply adored the color red.  
  
Many of those reasons were false, though.  
  
It was true that piloting Eva given her much of that annoying and stubborn pride.  
  
But it was also backed by something she acquired a few years back.  
  
Asuka was currently in a restaurant, drinking wine which soothed her mind and throat. The restaurant was classy, it made it very clear as one could see the many expensive pieces of art and a small band of musicians which constantly played wonderful music. That was one of the reasons why she liked the place. It had a welcoming feeling to it, where as some restaurants only gave off splendor and hostility which she could have more than enough back at the castle.  
  
Even with its relaxing quality, it was certainly not for the poor or unrefined. She also often noticed that she was the only one present who wore armor. The rest of the patrons usually wore outfits made of exotic materials from far distant lands. It was very uncommon for a woman to wear armor at such a refined place, but she did not heed the questioning looks the men and women who were present gave her.  
  
It was a prevailage to be there, let alone be a regular patron to the establishment.  
  
Of course, Asuka was well rewarded enough to enjoy this small luxury.  
  
Often, she would find herself enjoying a glass of wine, drained by the demands of her duty. And she was grateful for it. The place had given her a sense of relief and escape from work, despite the stares she received from some.  
  
She heard hollow footsteps, echoing as boots met the wooden floor. In boredom, she looked up to observe the presence of the new arrival.  
  
That was the moment that relaxing ended and her instincts took over.  
  
She saw a familiar brown mope of hair, inciting her curiosity to observe the stranger. The fact that the man he looked exactly likes Shinji disturbed her, but she dismissed it as a fluke. 'Many people often look alike but they still have differences'; a shakily excuse she gave to her mind demanding answers.  
  
It did the trick as her body made no attempt to move towards the man.  
  
Further more, the attire he was wearing was one of nobility, despite being ominous. It didn't mean that she had to like it though. Just looking at it gave her the creeps. Black was the main color which was coated on the fabric, with a few gems embedded into the each shoulder area of the thick material. It was a fact kept secret by mages that gems which were socketed into a suit was magically imbued, meaning that the wearer was possibly a dark mage. A possibility she didn't like.  
  
The one of the sapphires which glinted innocently as the man moved to order a drink didn't exactly quell the thought or calm her nerves. The man, inspite of his dubious appearance, didn't notice that he was being watched.  
  
Asuka wasn't convinced by the harmless exterior it showed when she recalled that piece of information. If he was Shinji, he would be in rags, not in clothes wore by nobles. Her mind agreed readily on the logical solution she gave it. Losing the need to stay any longer, she placed a few gold coins on the table and proceeded to leave.  
  
Despite Asuka's superior logical deduction of things, the person she just saw was indeed the one and only Shinji Ikari.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji, being Shinji, didn't really like what he was wearing now. His onimous clothes seemed to enjoy scaring the crap of the people he passed by. He could clearly see the fear and pure terror in their eyes. A trait which he, no doubt, inherited by becoming Death's student. Regardless of which, he now wanted to change into something less fore brooding. Though he would rather wear his brown robes over the outfit he was currently wearing, he knew he would just bring another horde of assassins after him.  
  
His thoughts were now centered on a warrior woman he saw at the restaurant. She seemed familiar to him but he shrugged it off as a trick his mind played on him.  
  
So far, he had explored a good portion of the city, stopping at the small nice restaurant which captured his attention and to rest. The wine being served there was excellent, he noted. Another habit he had developed from his teacher.  
  
Noticing that it was nearing the afternoon.  
  
Sighing in resignation, he knew time was up. Somehow, his sense of time was now more accurate. Shinji didn't know how but he  
  
He figured that getting out of that suit was much better than using using his remaining time. It after all gave him the creeps. He would have to later ask Sargaus why.  
  
Making sure that no one followed him, he walked into a deserted alley and disappeared.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Gendo had always detested the meetings SEELE conducted that required his presence. It was clear to him that they needed his presence to personally give him inflexible orders or warnings about deviations from the original scenario.  
  
Of course, that had changed, degrading from irritating to downright annoying.  
  
Now, such meetings would consist of bickering, objections, proposals, etc, etc.  
  
Like now.  
  
"The Human Completion Project cannot continue. What we have sought for after many decades now seems hopelessly distant!" SEELE 01 echoing voice said angrily.  
  
"The fact that the 17th was destroyed too early was disastrous to the plan." SEELE 05 added. " The Dead Sea Scrolls no longer are of use to us, and now it seems that our efforts will be wasted."  
  
" Even now as we speak , our agents are currently searching for the sacred texts." SEELE 07 assured. " The plan will proceed accordingly once we find the Tablet and the Scrolls."  
  
It took all Gendo's willpower to stop himself from bursting into laughter. He wouldn't have thought that the old men were too stupid to believe that he wouldn't take the liberty of finding the scrolls.  
  
" But it would take too long for the Scrolls to be translated." SEELE 08 retorted. " And ,the chances of finding the Scrolls are close to none."  
  
" Ikari , I trust you know that maintaining the EVAs to top combat efficiency it your main concerns now." SEELE 01 said. " Your presence is longer required."  
  
Again , Gendo barely managed to control himself from laughing at the pathetic excuse Keel had given him. He would definitely have to tell Fuyutsuki about this one.  
  
He turned to leave the room of black monoliths bickering about what they should do at the present time.  
  
One outside , he pulled a cell phone from his jacket. " Operator , I need a transport ASAP." Within a few minutes , A VTOL gunship was landing. He proceeded to board the ship, already preparing the magnitude of planning which ensure his victory. A single thought ran through his brain.  
  
He still had the advantage.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
The air was unbelievingly cold. But unbelievingly was an understatement.  
  
Located in the snowing mountains near the city , the castle was made to be a fortress. The weather and amount of difficult to reach the castle discouraged any sort of attack made against it. But it was made to hold armies at bay ,but not a single infiltrator.  
  
Shinji had gotten in the castle without much difficultly , having cast invisibility on himself. The only trouble he had was the occasional mage or priest which could see him clearly. But he was trained in the convert arts too, so it wasn't really much big of a deal.  
  
His robes were fighting to keep him warm but they were failing miserably against the relentless coldness of the air. Shivering slightly , he resumed his quest.  
  
He mentally noted that he would have to thank Sargaus for giving him knowledge of grey magic. It really made his job easier.  
  
So far , his search for a suitable object wasn't progressing well.  
  
His test was simple; get an item was could be found in the castle.  
  
Of course , he knew that he had to get an item which could be only found in the castle. Though stupid as the test may be , he was frustrated.  
  
He decided that he should check the rooms , but so far he had found nothing that was acceptable. He stopped in front of another room. He didn't know that rooms could have the same design , repeating forever as he had seen. If he couldn't find anything , he would just return empty handed, he thought.  
  
But the present room was more spacious than the rest. It wasn't bland as the other rooms were. Red armor mail , was held on a rack pole. Various weapons were found neatly arranged on the weapon rack. It was then something caught his eye. A long sword , crafted with utmost precision , ancient runic letters engraved on both sides of the blade. He noted that the spell's effect had wore off, making his visible once again. But it didn't really matter now.  
  
The sword looked simple ,except for the engravings , to the untrained eye. But to Shinji ,the weapon emitted a fiery aura, engulfing the sword with crimson. The sword whispered into his mind , speaking of unimaginable power beyond his wildest dreams. If only he picked the sword up.  
  
He raised his eyebrows. An enchanted sword. Interesting.  
  
He had no lust for power , and was thus immune to the sword's tempting offer.  
  
But he decided that it will be prove of his visit.  
  
Reaching to take the sword, he was interrupted by the banging of the swinging door. He turned to face the source but was shocked to find who awaited him.  
  
Soryu Asuka Langely.  
  
She was shocked to find an intruder in her room, but shock was quickly cast aside as she drew her sheathed short sword. Without any immediate warning , she charged at Shinji , who barely managed to dodged and summon his staff. Though, she recovered from shock, Shinji was absent minded , barely paying attention to his current situation. His mind was trying to regain control by throwing unanswerable questions at him.  
  
How could she be here?  
  
Was she even supposed to be here?  
  
What was she doing here?  
  
The three questions were constantly rotating in his mind. Shinji was absorbed in his search for the answers. But again, his instinct took over, and began to hasten his pace. His hood ,to his surprise, managed to cover his face when he moved very fast to dogde her attacks.  
  
What resulted was a symphony of clashing metal as Shinji blocked everyone of Asuka's blows and began an offensive against her. She , of course, held her own , blocking every blow Shinji threw at her.  
  
The charade ended when she managed to knock the hood off , revealing the wearer's face.  
  
What she saw left her so dumbstruck , that she dropped her sword with a loud 'clang' on the floor.  
  
Shinji, seeing the chance, quickly chanted. Within a few seconds, runes were visible on the ground he was standing and he disappeared.  
  
Asuka slumped on the floor , her eyes disbelieving, her mind thrown into chaos as she desperately searched for a logical reason to the situation.  
  
But no matter what she told herself, she knew that it was him.  
  
She knew that she just saw Shinji Ikari.  
  
TBC  
  
Author's blah blah : Well , that was done. Sad to say , I have to make this short. Any questions will be answered in the next chap cuz I rushed through the fic but at least Asuka finally got her appearance. Some major characters will be introduced in the next chapter so keep on reviewing!! 


	5. An Interlude of Calm

Well, I present to you Chapter 5, it may have taken some time but I will update as soon as I can. But since my exams are looming, I can't much. I will now address the questions you presented me for some time. Sorry, if I missed anyone's question; rushing things can do things to you. No pun intended :P.  
  
Question & Answer list:  
  
D14852001: Your theory is correct. And with Gendo as a mage, is for plot purposes. Besides, he is the %*&#@&! who knows everything ,right? :)  
  
Shinji Ikari: Don't worry, his training will last longer. :P  
  
Priest: Nope , it's the one and only Asuka, no clones.  
  
OMGILOVEYOU: Well ,hopefully I won't spoil this story with any bad chapters I post.  
  
Paths & Choices: An Interlude of Calm  
  
Misato was getting really impatient as she got on her 14th escalated walkway in 30 minutes to the area which seemed to be where her office was located.  
  
Mental note to self: 'Kill the one who designed these confounded things. Get a beer while you are at it.'  
  
It wasn't that she didn't have to walk that made her irritated. It was the fact that it seemed to her that NERV wanted to make life like hell for their employees to get to their work stations by adding numerous amounts of escalated walkways with no apparent direction.  
  
Misato Katsugari was currently standing on one of the said long escalated walkways towards her office where tons upon tons of paperwork awaited her. The past few weeks had been hell for her as Commander Ikari ordered constant checks and upgrades for the base.  
  
Usually, she would dose the unbearable reality of her job with loads of beer. But recent actions the Commander taken, made her think twice about it as one of those stressful working periods. Proof she had gathered made sure that this wasn't just another attempt to please the UN.  
  
From what she had read, NERV had placed at least two satellite transmitters on every continent and had bought a new recon orbital satellite. It wasn't everyday that you see equipment worth millions brought in for no apparent reason.  
  
The 'reason' the Commander gave couldn't be counted as a reason. She still remembered his words as he addressed the tactical staff.  
  
It was upgrading, funded by the UN.  
  
'Yeah right, U.N funding, my ass.' She snorted.  
  
From what she remembered, the UN didn't care about NERV unless it had some matters directly concerning it. They wouldn't just give top grade military spy ware to them for free. And it meant one thing.  
  
The Commander was hiding something. Something elusive and dark.  
  
She shook it off. This wasn't the time for her to get all absorbed in her thoughts when she still had a full day of work ahead of her.  
  
But she knew something big was going to happen. She could feel it in her blood.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Hell wasn't like what others had envisioned it.  
  
He had laughed when he read books stating that it was located in a subterranean world in a totally different realm of existence.  
  
He couldn't believe that mortals were that dumb; he had higher expectations for them. Both in the plane of mortals and dreams.  
  
But it was because that there were stupid people to allow his plan to succeed, if not Hell will be locked away for a long, long time.  
  
If they did not make the first move, nothing will be achieved.  
  
So here they are, the legions of Hell awaiting the final order to march towards victory or defeat.  
  
It was a year since , his angelic counterpart, the angel of Free Will was killed. He was overjoyed when he heard the news. One less annoying obstacle removed.  
  
" Lord Tabris, the army is assembled. What are your orders?"  
  
The being known as Tabris turned to face the voice. It was one of his generals; a man who has seen many battles and fought as many wars as he had scars.  
  
" Send one thousand two hundred through the gate. Order the first messenger to begin at his own discretion, general."  
  
The general bowed , anticipation glowing through his yellow eyes. "Yes, Milord."  
  
With the echoing footsteps getting faint, he turned towards the balcony once again, watching a small mass of troops leaving towards one of the dimensional gates. The gate was huge, great amounts of energy poured into the round portal, ancient runes swirling slowly as it prepares to send its master's troops to the Plane of Dreams.  
  
He felt a slight breeze in the air. He knew he wasn't alone.  
  
" Areilas, how many times must I tell you not to sneak on me?"  
  
Tabris turned to face him, his eyes regarding his acolyte, but is blocked by the shadows.  
  
Areilas merely smirked at his comment. " Until our job is done." He stepped out of the shadow, his clothes absorbing the light , a loosely hung sapphire gem was the only accessory on him which shone brightly. A sheathed sword was attached to him back by a black leather strap which hung diagonally across his body.  
  
" Is it time yet, my friend?" Areilas asked as he played with his dagger. A dagger which had claimed many lives for its wielder. Though it gleamed too brightly for Tabris's liking, he ignored it.  
  
" Yes, Death's time is up. His fledgling's skills are feeble and weak. But if given sufficient time to develop, he will prove to be a difficult adversary. We will have to strike when the time is right."  
  
" But can we turn him , like we did to his teacher's master?" Areilas voice held contempt, but glee was hidden, already knowing the answer.  
  
" No, I already searched his soul. It was sickening pure, from what I last saw. His mind is strong, hardened by his teacher's training. It would be very difficult for us to use him even if he had turned."  
  
Tabris sighed, resignation clearly heard in his voice. " No, it would not be possible. Even if his powers are limited."  
  
Areilas now had a full blown grin , bordering insanity. " Then , I suppose we use the usual method of doing things?"  
  
Tabris remembered long ago that Areilas didn't have much interest in bloodshed, only doing it for duty. But now, he had always wondered how Areilas had gotten so restless, but he figured that two thousand years without a decent opponent could do that to you.  
  
" Yes, Areilas, you will have to dispose of him quickly." Tabris paused. " But , it is not the time to strike yet. We must bide our time for Death still watches over him."  
  
Immediately, Areilas grin dropped into a grimace. " But why ,Tabris?"  
  
" If he loses his student, he will find the cause. And once he does, he will have a reason to hand over various rare and powerful spell books to the angelic forces. And that , my friend ,would cause a significant tip of the scale to their favor."  
  
Areilas contemplated the delicacy of the situation, already disliking anything complicated such as negative chain reactions to their plans.  
  
Time to deliver the finishing blow, Tabris thought.  
  
" But, look on the bright side, you complained that there were not any worthy tasks for you to do. So by the time Death entrusts him, his apprentice would probably be skilled enough to fight effectively."  
  
At this, Areilas's grin was back to full power.  
  
" But be wary, we don't know how well he fights now. So there may be a slight possibility that you will fail and be killed." Tabris warned. "Are you ready to take this challenge?"  
  
Areilas simply gave a confident smirk. " For two thousand years, have I waited for this chance. Too long have I fought against pitiful weaklings. Finally, I will meet someone interesting."  
  
Tabris merely smiled." I assume that was a yes?"  
  
" Of course, I won't give up this choice for anything." Areilas replied, smiling. " What are my orders, Milord?"  
  
" Depart immediately with the Expedition force. From there , head towards any city with strong flow of black energies. You will commence your mission at your discretion."  
  
" Yes , Milord." Areilas disappeared as dark shadows swallowed him.  
  
Now, alone in the hall, Tabris continued surveying the countless legions that was his to command.  
  
The pieces were in place. All that he had to do now was to wait.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Great, I am now in the middle of a squabbling court. Just what I wanted, Asuka thought as she watched the lords and barons of the five kingdoms arguing about something she forgotten long before it was discussed.  
  
She had resolved the matter with the Shinji look-alike with the simple conclusion that it was just a coincidence. But it had still stabbed daggers into her heart though as she saw someone who was supposed to have died.  
  
She thought that at least this was better that the old sensei's lecture about the Second Impact. Heck, she would rather listen to the old man drone than them shouting using high pitch octaves.  
  
" Lady Asuka, what is your opinion on the matter?" All of them in the court directed their eyes at Asuka, who was fidgeting slightly while trying to remember what they were talking about.  
  
She managed remember that they were talking about a small number of demonic portals detected far south, near the abandoned mining mountains. She figured that sending an army to dispose of them was the best choice of action.  
  
" Gentlemen, I would suggest to send a force of three thousand to crush these defilers of the light." She said. " A campaign to root them out and of striking them down."  
  
At her statement, the generals of Lorthain and Ghiran hid the grins which were threatening to appear on their stoic faces while the Archmages of Thalahos were fuming and frowning openly.  
  
" You can't just send three thousand men to their doom?!"  
  
The outburst created yet another shouting match. Asuka felt another headache emerging. Both wizard and warlord alike hurdled insults towards each other at record speed. It wasn't until a loud piercing command was heard , that the mages and generals stopped making themselves look like fools.  
  
" SILIENCE! I will not have this uncivil behavior in my court!" King Ierous shouted , silence slowly creeping back to the hall. " While I appreciate the advice you all have given me, I feel that the generals and Lady Asuka are right. A expedition will be sent to hunt down the heathens."  
  
Seeing that the battle was lost, one of the seven magi stepped out to address the king.  
  
" We understand , your majesty." He said calmly, the anger in his tone concealed so perfectly. " But then, I suppose we cannot change your mind then?"  
  
" My decision is final." The king said. " Without any evidence to your claim, I cannot object to plans my generals and those of Ghiran proposed to counter this new threat."  
  
The mage let out a slight sigh, realizing that his words fell on deaf ears. " Very well, our presence is no longer required. Goodbye, good king of Lorthain. We will meet again when the sands of time demands of it."  
  
All the Archmages at the hall began to glow a soft blue ethereal light, slowly fading out of sight.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Shinji was in a bad mood. To put it simply he had just gotten out of a bad haggle. He had planned to buy an arcane spell book to relieve himself from boredom. He hadn't expected that the shopkeeper was a stubborn person and refused anything except cold hard coins. He had never used up his considerable reserve of patience before, not even to Asuka.  
  
He cringed at the thought. Just what he needed; A reminder to a unsolved problem. After the incident, he felt fearful of meeting her again. It was generally not recommended to let people who think that you are dead to see you.  
  
This rule also applies itself to Shinji, much to his displeasure.  
  
But , it was also due to the fact that he couldn't face her. He didn't know how he would react in before and he didn't now. He would need to get out of this city for a short time.  
  
Now, here he was. Wandering towards the city's port, he wondered why his teacher asked him to meet him there.  
  
He took no notice of his surroundings until he reached his destination. Walking through the busy port area where men were constantly carrying crates from the many ship docked there to the large warehouses which provided space for the overwhelming amount of cargo, Shinji soon found his teacher on board a ship.  
  
It looked the same as the other cargo ships which he had seen when he entered the port.  
  
Already noticing Shinji, Sargaus shouted to him. " Hey Shinji, come on up!"  
  
Shinji just walked up the ship, wondering what was happening.  
  
Immediately, Sargaus motioned towards the captain of the ship, a big man who was directing his hands everywhere to maintain the order on the ship.  
  
He caught the signal and shouted. " All right , men, get this ship sailing now!"  
  
As he watched the events unfold, Shinji turned to Sargaus, confused as ever.  
  
" Where are we going , Sargaus?" He had virtually no idea where his teacher would take him nexr.  
  
At that, Sarguas simply grinned. " Why , Shinji my boy, we are going 'treasure hunting'." He used his fingers for double emphasis.  
  
Shinji simply let out a groan.  
  
TBC  
  
Author's notes: Remember this Tabris is not from Seldon's Eternities War(which is a great fic btw), though the traits are similar. So don't flame me for that. And what is the term treasure hunting, hmm? :P Well , I have some good and bad news for you all, the good news is that the next chapter will be much longer than the previous ones and I will be putting up my fanfiction website soon with a sketches of some characters. But the bad news is that I would be updating any time soon due to my end of the year exams and thus is the reason for extension of said next chapter. Keep reviewing, people!! 


	6. Opening of New doors

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters for disclaimer.(mumbles sometihng about putting the disclaimer late) 

Author's notes: Well, today's the day I update the ficcy! Anyway, I haven't broken my promise, have I? (Obsesses over the damn long word count)Btw, be prepared for a few plot advances in here. Hopefully, this chapter will meet your expectations. Anyways, I am too tired to do a author's blah blah today so it is excluded and I can assure you it was quite rushed. Important note: Everyone review!!!! I need more inspiration! ^_^

Shinji Ikari & Hunter: About the disappearing act Shinji did, he teleported out of there, it in written in chapter 4 maybe you both missed it, no? :P  And for Asuka being in a squabbling court, she's a knight there in the plane of dreams so I hope that answers your question... 

"Power everyone has, but whether you use it efficiently at all, is the most important point."-Anonymous. 

**Paths and Choices: Opening of new doors**

The gentle breeze danced to a tuneless rhythm around him, the air warm on his skin. The moon shone lucidly upon the wooden decks of the ship. The stars dotted the sky, twinkling every so often. The white rays of moonlight were calming as they shone onto his face, its reflection visible in his eyes.

He took in a breath of air, revitalizing himself slightly.

Most of the ship's crew had already turned in, with the exception of those who were doing their night shift. It was quiet, with a bit of hushed chatter among the sailors and the occasional sound of gentle waves crashing against the ship's hull.

Yes, the scene was peaceful; almost perfect. A good distraction from the task at hand. He had almost forgotten it. Almost.

"Pleasant night, isn't it?" Sargaus asked lightly, looking at the vast body of water, which was now bleak as the skies above, as he leaned on the metal railings, face tilted skywards.

It was amazing how the change in environment could make Sargaus look like an air-headed fool, almost enough to make Shinji lower his guard.

But of course, it took more than that to convince him otherwise. 

"Would you kindly explain why we are going to the eastern continent, Sargaus?" He said, his tone demanding an answer, ironically subtle. Though he respected him as a teacher, he couldn't help feeling annoyed, Sargaus had been avoiding the subject long enough to drain all of his patience.  

The one in question sighed, knowing it was futile to hide it from his protégé. His gaze turned serious; no longer looking like the 'fool' he had been a few moments ago.

"Wondered why you never reaped any soul yet?" He said quietly, his voice holding no emotion, like a certain blue-haired girl he knew...

Hearing nothing from Shinji, Sargaus continued. "Without it, neither you, I nor anyone else for that matter, would be able to achieve the actions required of us." 

Sargaus quickly continued, not wishing the dwell on the subject for longer than he liked. "We are going to collect a sacred weapon which will allow you to complete your original task."

Shinji's curiosity was piqued, as he pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. He was finally going to get some answers for this ultimately forced trip across the ocean.

"So, what is it like?" Shinji asked hushed voice, his curiosity almost getter the better of him, though he remembered to be mindful of the sailors which were near.

"You will know when you see it. Besides, once you get it, I will retire." Sargaus said, grinning at the prospect of retiring. "Let's spar. I want to see how much power you have gained." 

Raising his right hand, he chanted familiar words. Blue energy gently floated from his hand, dissipating lazily into the nearby surroundings. Shinji watched in awe at the sight, fascinated. Sure enough, he could see that the movements of the sailors were slowing, their speed decreasing even more with every passing second.   

Within moments, all the sailors finally stopped; frozen in time as they were in the middle of something, be it walking or sleeping.

"We can't have any witnesses, can we?" He said, turning to face Shinji, a wryly smile plastered on his face.

"You are right. We can't." Shinji agreed. 

"Well then. Shall we begin?"

Both of them revealed their weapons. Shinji summoned a dark pillar of energy, transforming it into the shape of a sword. Sargaus, on the other hand, unsheathed his long sword.

Glancing at the sword ridiculously, Shinji asked, "Are you sure you want to use a common sword? I mean a non-enchanted sword against an energy blade?"  

The sword itself was plain-looking; the hilt was a bit longer than most, albeit it was also a bit thinner. But what which barely caught his eye, were the three jewels encrusted into each side of hilt. 

He had not detected any form of magic in the sword, puzzled as to why he chose the sword. It didn't stand a chance against his weapon, as far as he could see. He wondered if Sargaus was actually patronizing him by using an ordinary sword.

Laughing, the one in question confidently replied, "You will see why."

Shinji shrugged his shoulders in disbelief. "It's your call." He got into a battle stance. "Don't complain if you lose." Sargaus merely smiled at the statement.

Without further ado, Sargaus charged; preparing to bring up his blade in an upper cut. Instinctively, Shinji blocked it with unnerving ease, quickly striking back with swift calculated blows. Energy leaked from the blade and into the surrounding air as it met cold steel, adding a tint of darkness to the floor below.

Sargaus shifted his position to allow the blade pass harmlessly into the air which he had so recently occupied.

Once again, metal met energy as both of them exchanged blows in a deadly and graceful dance. Both of them never letting their attacks waver or dropping their guard by even an inch.

However as the fight progressed, Shinji felt a bit...drained. It wasn't the physical type of tiredness; he was barely sweating, but it was more of a spiritual kind of tiredness and he had a sinking suspicion of what is causing it. His intuition was also telling him the same thing.

To test his theory, he swung his blade, expecting the steel sword to clash against his. Sure enough, steel met raw energy once again. But this time, Shinji focused on his and his foe's blade. It was then he noticed large strains of energy were being forced out of his make-shift sword every time his blade struck.

His gut feeling was, indeed, justified; He was being drained from his mana reserves. And if he didn't do anything about it, his energy would be sucked dry. Something he didn't like too well.

That would result in defeat. And he wasn't about to give in without a fight.

Sargaus noticed the sudden lack of attention from Shinji, finally realizing that he had been found out. But he knew that it was too late to change the outcome of the fight. He saw that Shinji had let his temporary weapon to dissipate; thanks to a lack of mana caused by his energy sapping sword.

He threw Shinji a sad smile; a smile he usually kept for opponents worthy of it. "I see you have found out the ability of this sword."

"I didn't expect you will stoop so low as to use a permanent draining enchantment on your sword." Shinji muttered, knowing that the chances of victory for him were now very slim. "Plus, you even made it undetectable..." 

"All's fair in love and war." Sargaus quoted, as he renewed his attacks once again.

Shinji blinked, not expecting a reply from his usually cryptic and quiet teacher. He hid a small smile as he dodged the thrusting movements of the sword.

"True." He ducked, using his feet to strike at Sargaus's unguarded legs, almost bringing him down. "Then I suppose that was fair."

His response was an irritated grunt. 

"I am surprised that you lasted this long." He mumbled, quickly jumping back, making a good deal of distance between them. "Time to finish this."

Shinji begun to take notice of the gems which were embedded into the sword, were now glowing faintly. Dark energy poured quickly from them, crackles of energy beginning to appear around the blade; the blade itself had begun to glow a faint black, twisting its appearance into an even more sinister manner.  

Silently, Sargaus moved, bringing his blade to slice flesh. Expertly, Shinji barely dodged the weapon, but not before getting singed by the sizzling dark energies when the blade passed near him.

Already, he could feel the hopelessness of the situation making his head ache; He had not enough mana to summon up a sword or another weapon for that matter. His mind was already clouded as he moved, barely giving the much needed attention towards his surroundings, his movement were that of a string puppet.

He knew this feeling, since he was particularly familiar with it; he had experienced it when he had defeated the fourth Angel. Yes, despair wasn't a stranger to him. Even now, it was clawing at him, with each passing second; it urged him to give up and that resistance was futile. 

Despair had always sapped his will, leaving him to collect the pieces for days to come. But now, the circumstances were a bit different, if not the same. Shinji was beginning to lose control of his senses. Something which was not really desired if one were to fight against him.

He began to glow, blue energy started to flow into him, revitalizing his body. His eyes began to change their color; from azure to red to teal and back again, restarting the cycle. It was as if the colors themselves were fighting for dominance.

At this point, Sargaus had begun to formulate a theory on Shinji's erratic behavior.

_It was his hidden_ _power! He always has sensed something from Shinji but he couldn't seem to put a finger on it until now...But he also saw the implications it had.__  It was a power so great which will eventually destroy its master completely; body, mind and soul. He had seen the side-effects of it, all right; he didn't want the same thing happening again._

By now, Shinji felt light-headed; drowned in the overwhelming surge of energy. It called out to him, offering him everything he ever wanted or desired. He never felt so relaxed in his entire life, he wanted to give in. it was so tempting to let it all go…

_No!_ The thought hit him like a brick, saving him and bringing him to his conscious. Just barely. Wrestling control, Shinji took advantage of his renewed energy by summoning another weapon; this time, a spear.

While he was glad that his student had experienced his first encounter with his power, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong somewhere. Also, the spear seemed awfully familiar...   

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he avoided the sharp pointed edge of metal. He made eye contact with him momentarily, glazing into the blighted abyss that was now Shinji. An ability he often disliked.

Within his orbs, he saw a vast amount of control over _something...._something terrible _but it was barely enough to contain it. Sargaus didn't know how he knew; it wouldn't long before Shinji lost whatever restraint he had. _

Acting quickly, Sargaus slammed the flat side of his blade into Shinji's stomach, sending him reeling a few feet back before crashing onto the wooden deck. Dark energies began to pour out in excessive amounts, dissolving in the air, freeing Shinji from its grasp. The spear, which was lying uselessly on the deck, had begun to dissolve as well. It vanished completely, but not before Sargaus caught a longer glimpse at the weapon.

Now, turning his attention to panting Shinji, he offered a hand. Gratefully, Shinji grabbed it, instantly getting pulled up to his feet.

Looking at Sargaus with a confused expression, he asked, "What happened? One minute, I was-"

Sargaus cut in, not wishing to him to think anything more from it. "You were lost in the moment. Nothing more." But before any questions were asked, he began to walk off in the direction of his cabin. He stopped a moment. 

"You did well, kiddo." He said, before resuming his walk. "Now, get some sleep. We will be busy tomorrow."

Time unfroze, leaving Shinji alone with his thoughts. He knew there were too many secrets, but he confided in his mind that he would find out soon.

~~~~~~  

In some plains near some mountainous area, things were looking pretty normal for a grass plain. But it would look normal to a wandering drunkard, given the circumstances, for that was what he thought.

But in reality, things were far from normal. 

There were no insects as no chirping was heard, the winds began to pick up in intensity and the area was totally devoid of any animals, scared off by whatever was going to happen. The moon had glowed a soft red, drenching the fields in crimson light. All of which might have been classified under "Demonic and strange happenings.".  

But of course, the drunk hadn't took notice of the eerie changes to the landscape and continued to clumsily stagger aimlessly. That is, until his beer-clouded senses picked up a really notable change in the temperature.

The ground was hot, the air was sizzling, the drunkard concluded from his limited state of mind. He was unaware that he was sweating profusely, drenching his rags which he calls a shirt, with sweat.

If given the choice, any man would flee. But the man did not turn and run. In fact, he did the opposite; he sat on the once cool grass, deciding it was here that he would spend the night. Lying on his back, the drunk tried to ignore the heat as he closed his eyes, preparing to fall in a drunken sleep. It wasn't long before he heard whistles of air blowing a screeching melody. 

Red ripples and waves of energy pulsated vertically, 200 metres from where he lay. 

At first, he shrugged it off as an illusion inducted from the alcohol, but the waves continued, each time slower and brighter than the last. Each wave sending fear into his heart; each one screaming a soundless sentence.    

And like an ugly gash, a rift opened, tearing the very fabric of space like it was meant to do. Cackles of white energy formed on the portal, occasionally letting off a bolt at the soft soil around it. Without any warning, the portal became unstable; letting off multiple bolts of energy randomly, scorching the earth.

And as sudden as its violent seizure, the portal stabilized, ceasing to char the earth. It lingered calmly for a moment, much to the relief of the man. But alas, worst things were yet to come. Already, he could hear sounds, horrible and unthinkable sounds, emanating from the ominous portal.   

The sounds got closer and closer, when finally they ceased. And like a horde, they came rushing out of the portal. Words cannot describe the foulness of these....beasts. Ready to pee on his pants, the drunkard decided to turn tail and run. To only thing stopping him ,however, was a wraith, holding nasty looking dagger. He could feel the infernal grin on its unseen face as it raised its weapon to strike.

It was the last thing he ever saw.  

~~~~~~

For once, Sargaus was glad that he had learnt the secrets of astral projection. The ability to access his library without him actually being there was rather useful, as he had used it on several occasions. The knowledge held there could make every librarian and wizard green with envy for the spells and tomes located there were much ancient and equally powerful.

He started to delve deeper into the mysterious spear Shinji had unknowingly summoned. He knew it was rare. Yes, it was very rare, almost as old as the weapon they were supposed to recover.  

Turning over the pages of the tome, he had found what he had been looking for. Looking over his newly acquired information, his expression turned grim. Wasting no time, he began to make notes and an instruction manual especially for Shinji. His fear was growing every minute.

It wasn't very reassuring when he found the wanted information in a old tome called "Forbidden & Nameless weapons". It was even less reassuring as he glanced at the book's graphic and descriptive content.

He had expected that the spear would be connected to whatever they had been looking for, but to his disappointment, it didn't have any connection at all. It had no specific name, but since reading the bad impression tome managed give him, he would rather not learn of its name, but what the spear alone capable of was enough to make him frown; from what little what known, the spear was cursed. The energy spike Shinji experienced just made his suspicions worse. 

The spear was definitely a demonic item; making sure that it couldn't be summoned through normal means. But Shinji somehow had pulled it off, and even then, he wasn't aligned to the dark side. Even then, it would require unbelievable amounts of energy to summon; something which Shinji, at that time, barely had. Even he, with his substantial powers, couldn't do it.

And if from what he read was true from the tome's musty pages, then Shinji was in a lot of trouble. He would have to hope it wouldn't turn out the way the tome predicted. Worrying was going to have to wait, he thought.

"Soul corruption is very serious indeed...", he mumbled as scribbling down haste notes here and there. Whatever the thing was, it isn't going to be good, that's for sure.

He would have to trust Shinji on this one. 

Already feeling the tugging strains of expending his mana for too long a period, he finished up the last bits of his notes, putting away his books and prepared to return to his physical body.

~~~~~~

Asuka was disgruntled.

Well, she was always disgruntled, but this one was well called for. She had every reason for her current state of attitude. Though, she would have preferred removing the certain organs from the ones responsible to vent her ever increasing amount of anger.

Being half dragged by the Major to the car, Asuka was definitely not in the best of moods. "Misato! What the hell is going on!!!??", she shouted, her eyebrows twitching from frustration.  By now, the Major was well on her way towards the Geofront. 

"Angel attack." Was the simple reply which came from her lips.

As if to prove her words, the sirens blared once again, signifying the coming of another messenger from god. 

There were people racing towards the shelters but the roads were free, a fact which Asuka was glad to know. Misato's driving skills left much to be desired but it did the job. The city lights were on, contrasting against the night sky, giving a nice view of the city. Beyond, she could make out a shadowy silhouette, inching towards the city slowly.

The remainder of the ride was in silence, neither of them wanting to have a verbal match with each other so late in the night. Only the vibrant sounds from the car's motor seem to disrupt the eerie silence. Besides, they got more things to worry about.

They reached the Geofront without much difficulty, despite the large amount of people rushing through. Soon, Asuka was in her Eva, clad in her usual red plug suit. The familiar hum was again heard as she idly started up her Eva as countless techs supervised the process.

She haven't seen wonder girl while she was changing, so it was probably due to the fact that she already was in her Eva. Good, she didn't want to see that doll anytime soon.    

Further thoughts were interrupted as a image of Misato popped up. " Asuka, Rei, are you ready?" Asuka merely raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Misato. I am always ready."

A soft 'hai' was emanated from the audio image. It was no doubt her rival's answer. Stoic as always, eh, wonder doll? , she thought, her dislike of the albino again flaring.

"EVA launch!"

The G-forces once again exerted themselves as Unit 02 and 00 were propelled at high speeds towards the surface of Tokyo-3. Asuka didn't pay attention to what Misato was saying about their latest target. She heard the same thing over and over; she knew that whatever happens, the Angel will still be killed regardless of plans.

Reaching the surface, both unit 02 and 00 slumped forward as its bindings were released, making them look as lifeless as a doll. Soon enough, they were moving once again, plugging in their respective umbilical cables to sustain their massive power usage.

Once again, Misato's stern face popped up in a video feed. "All right, we are sending up the pallet rifles. And since we don't know about the Angel's capabilities, you both are going to wait until the Angel comes into the city." Now, Misato's façade took a more motherly aspect. "Play safe, okay?"

On cue, a nearby armament building opened and revealed two fully loaded pallet rifles. 

"Consider that Angel dead, Misato!" Asuka beamed; ever eager to prove herself. The location was more or less in the direct part of the Angel's route, thus preventing it from getting past them without a fight. Not that they wouldn't fight to the death, in any case. 

"All right, move to these coordinates. Rei, you are the backup."

"Hai." It matter to her whether she took point or not. She would complete her purpose. She rarely cared.

"Both Evangelions are in position." A tech announced, breaking the silence.   

From their position, they could see that the Angel was already very near the city. Again, multiple VTOL gun-ships were engaging the Angel in a futile attempt to stall it. Of course, the angelic being paid no heed to the assault as it trudged harmlessly against the rain of missiles and bullets towards its destination.

In the contrast of stark white metallic buildings, the two behemoths stood waiting for their prey to come. Both of them had no words to exchange. 

They did not wait long for their target as it came about minutes later. 

~~~~~~

Within the busy command centre of NERV, Gendo Ikari was sitting in his chair, already situated in his favorite posture where his hands were covering his mouth as he sat in a slouched manner.  Perched high above to overlook the command centre, he naturally felt more superior. Next to him, Sub-commander Fuyutsuki stood passively, his face betraying no emotion. But unlike Gendo, Fuyutsuki was more open with his emotions. Such a time was now.

"Ikari, the scrolls did not predict this..." Fuyutsuki mumbled, as he watched the large display screen showing the battle. He caught a glimpse of Unit 02 getting tossed about. Yes, the situation was going down hill.

Though his features remained stoic, he had a bad feeling on where the battle raged above was going. He also could feel the surprise from him, as he suspected. 

"Don't worry, Professor. We will be victorious, like the many times we triumphed against his brothers." Gendo assured; a hint of confidence in his voice.

"But unlike the others, this will be the first of its kind." Fuyutsuki countered. "They were not Adam's spawns, they are...different."

"Ah, yes. The scrolls were, at least, been able to tell us that. How does the translation go?" He asked, again replaying his plans in his mind.

"It is on schedule, it will be completed soon from now. And I applaud your sense of timing for asking these things." Fuyutsuki answered sarcastically.

"What better time to ask when one is facing death in the face?" Gendo stated, letting a small smile visible.

Fuyutsuki merely raised an eyebrow at the comment. "I never thought that such words would be coming out from a man who constantly cheats death. I am shocked." He didn't really expect Gendo to be displaying more emotion than usual; he had a nagging feeling telling him that it was due to something more...insidious.

Immediately, the smile melted from Gendo's face, regaining its earlier composure. The Evangelions were getting thrashed from what he could see. His earlier assumption was right with the understanding of Gendo's next sentence.

"Activate L.E.V.I.A.T.O.N, dear professor."

Fuyutsuki frowned. "Ikari, you got to be joking."

"Do I 'joke', sensei?" He said, the ice factor in his voice was at max.

"We haven't even field-tested the prototypes, Ikari!" Fuyutsuki seethed quietly. "Who knows what might happen!?"

"Then consider this the field test then." 

"..."

"Send up weapon #034 and no.#042 to pilots Ayanami and Soryu." Gendo said loudly.

Let's hope your plan works, Ikari. If not, we are all doomed..., Fuyutsuki thought bitterly. 

**~~~~~~**

Often, Asuka would underestimate the strength of one by just looking at him/she. Even if they looked tough. The Angel was no exception to this. It had a fairly humanoid shape, processing the shoulder spikes like the 3rd Angel, except that they were more and was much longer. Unlike previous Angels, she had noticed that it had a lot of thick dull armor positioned at various points of its body. The head almost looked like Unit 03's, except it was made of bone and in the place of eyes, there was only blackness. And of course, a red core located at the mid-section.

They found out earlier that it had no AT field. Piece of cake, she thought. Wrong Answer. 

The fight had started off easy, with her and wonder girl kicking its pathetic butt. But once it summoned up that sword...the tables were turned. It didn't look like any sword she seen before, as it had strange wordings engraved on the blade itself. Certainly, cutting through 30 meters of steel made her realize that.

By now, she knew that it was no ordinary Angel, but she was too busy to acknowledge the fact. She willed her Eva to jump, crushing several buildings under the immense weight.

The familiar image feed popped up once again. "Asuka, we will be sending up something for you use. It's supposed to be effective against the Angel!"

"Rei, cover Asuka until she gets the weapon."

"Understood."

Within seconds, a armament building retracted its foils to reveal a sword. It was like out of a fantasy novel, crafted perfectly for maximum efficiency. Immediately, she grabbed it; just in time before the Angel sliced the building apart. Having learnt swordplay, she immediately opened an attack, making the Angel stumble.

Another building opened, revealing a lance. Like Asuka's sword, it too had strange wordings etched on its surface. But unlike the lance of Longinus, it had one end only. Instantly, Unit 00 grabbed it, the strange weapon glowed for a moment. This went unnoticed by Rei as she dodged the painfully sharp blade of the Angel.

It was not long before Asuka destroyed it in an awe inspiring display of skill and grace. Outnumbered, outgunned and flanked on each side, the being known as Dreyil prepared to meet its fate. Immediately, its core became brimming with energy, crackling dangerously.

"Power readings are off the scale! ITS GONNA BLOW!"

"REI! ASUKA! GET OUT OF THERE!"

Unit 00 had already moved a considerable distance, but just as Asuka moved, something within her stirred.

It was then power and bloodlust, made itself known to Asuka. Basked in its influence, she quickly rushed recklessly, slicing the wayward Angel messily. Red organic blood spattered on the street, painting it a painting the street crimson.

The Angel staggered for a moment, letting out a blood curling roar, before exploding in bright ball of fire. Unit 02 was thrown back by the explosion , knocking the wind out of Asuka.

She panted heavily, all the power and bloodlust gone the second she defeated the Angel. She did not know what came over her, 

"Good job, Asuka." Misato said, thankful that her remaining charge was still alive. She didn't want to lose both of them. "I will treat you to steak sometime."

"Misato?" She asked, hoping that Misato would grant her request.

"Yes, Asuka?"

"Can I skip school today?" She asked before slipping into darkness. But deep within her mind, her thoughts were saying other things, 'The fight was too easy..."

~~~~~~

Despite the apparent timing, Gendo Ikari sat in his office, reviewing the combat data on his personal laptop.  The door hissed as it opened, footsteps echoing through the sinister room.

"You were right, Ikari." Fuyutsuki slumped into the seat in front of the desk. "I suppose L.E.V.I.A.T.O.N was a success, then." 

"Yes, but I noticed that Soryu's psycho-graph fluctuated during the final moments of the battle. It must be the effects of the prototype..." He switched off the laptop. "No matter, it is where its strength lies."

"..." Silence reigned for a few moments before one of them spoke.

"The scrolls mentioned 'a child will rise up once again, unbound by his former duty', it may mean that we may find another pilot for Unit 01."

"Perhaps...perhaps..."

~~~~~~

To be truthful, ever since we departed for this desolate continent, I have been feeling...dreadful. For what reason, I am not sure. Ignoring it as I would a cold, things went normally as they could. The once-current agenda of asking about the purpose of sudden trip gave my mind something to focus on, subsequently blocking it out. It worked for a while as the feeling disappeared. But being close to land now, made the feeling resurface, now constantly plaguing me with worry. It was as if my instincts were urging to give up this quest. My feelings on yesterday's incident didn't help much either.

I talked to Sargaus about it; all he gave me was a pat on the shoulder and said that it was normal. I didn't really find reassurance in his words though....I wish I could. Still, I thanked him anyways. 

We arrived at the docks at night fall, though I wished we had arrived at an earlier time. I never had gotten rid of my childhood fear of dark places, and now's a bad time to be reminded of it. Being observant, I noticed there were not many buildings in town, though the ones that were still standing were in great need of repair or really lacking in being presentable. Beyond that, the port was surrounded by a vast expanse of forest. 

"Where are we going, Sargaus?" I asked, sounding more tired than I originally am. Despite my best efforts to calm myself, my doubts were starting to arise again. Heh, I am beginning to sound like a paranoid idiot. He didn't say anything though, but his finger pointing towards the dark green backdrop said as much. Oh well, it was at least worth a try. 

He walked down the ramp, I followed. I noticed the inward portion of the small port didn't fare much better than the others, for themselves in need of repair and serious renovating like those I saw before. Though I was no master of the streets, I could see that this place is usually frequented by smugglers and other kinds of people society tries to ignore. I also noticed there were a few taverns around, instantly remembering what Sargaus said about taverns. Seeing a lot of seedy people in around there, however, made me doubtful of following his advice anything soon; I was never really social. The darkness of the night just made it worse.

We began to attract attention to ourselves. The stares of several locals were making me nervous. Unfortunately, Sargaus didn't notice my apparent discomfort and continued on. Either he ignored it or was use to receiving unwanted attention. It seems as though he was searching for something, his eyes browsing each shop we passed. Eventually, he stopped and entered a shop. Soon, he came out with a rather large lamp. And we resumed our journey.

It took a short while before finally we came to the end of the street, there was a considerable clearing in between the last buildings of the small rural city and the unknown depths of the strange and seemingly fear inspiring forest. It looked to me liked a no mans land, caught between the last traces on humanity on the continent and the unnatural roots of nature. At this point, the feeling began worsen, its icy clutch gripping me intensely. I began to find it more difficult for me to breath. Thankfully, Sargaus lighted the lamp. And for some reason unknown to me, the choking sensation faded, but still the feeling still lingered on. Openly, I let out a sigh of relief. I was fairly certain that he was going to go in there without a light source.

Sargaus noticed the sigh, idly asking, "What's the sigh for?"

"I didn't think you would use the lamp for light. I had expected you would use it for something other than a light." I answered dryly.

"HEY! I have common sense you know!" He countered indignantly. Yeah, but your behavior states otherwise, I thought.  

Though I wanted to say something along the lines of "Well, I was beginning to doubt you have one at all.", I instead settled for, "With you, one can never too sure."

At that, he gave a hearty laugh before gesturing towards the dark abyss in front. "Let's go, we have much to do. And don't you stress over your condition; your worry spells will be gone once we get that artifact."

By now, I knew that he wouldn't turn back just because he thought I feared the forest but nonetheless, I followed him into the night, pushing tree branches or brushing off fallen leaves. The only sounds around me were the rustling of leaves and footsteps. It was too quiet for my taste. I am guessing that silence gives me a time for reflection for what I have chosen, it maybe probably why I fear it. It may be guilt or it may be a sense of lost, I do not know. The old Shinji died when he passed in his sleep, and the new arises to greet the world. I may have seen it as a chance of redemption to myself, and that alone shows that I have changed, for better or worse. But I know I have a duty and obligation to fulfill, and I do not regret my decision, no matter how selfish it may seem.

That declaration to myself strengthened my already shaky resolve and weakened the effect of dread on me. Sargaus seems to be scanning the area, despite lacking a map. While I do not doubt his abilities, walking through uncharted soil through a vastly thick forest does not really stick into my category of 'safe'.

To say that the vegetation around was thick was already an understatement itself. From the huge 10m oak tree from the beginning of our walk to the unbelievably large 60m trees of unknown species to me at our current position, I couldn't really see the thick overgrowth. I already realized it was futile to try to catch a glimpse of the night sky.

Though I gain courage quickly, I also lost it as quick as I gained it, for with every step I take, every passing second, I could not help but feel something dreadful nearby. Somehow, I knew that our destination would cross paths with it.

And as if to confirm my fear, Sargaus stopped a few metres in front of me. "We are here." He stated, lacking any type of reassurance that I would need now.

I came beside him, sharing the view of the long ruined and forgotten city. We were standing on a small hill, though it was high enough to see it. It was not huge in size but it was definitely not small, its walls were worn and battered, a few sections already broken, leaving huge gaps.  Its buildings were pristine white, small and large cracks were present on them and weeds were present on them, adding green shades to some. In the center of the lost city, a tall citadel stood, as if mocking and daring those who would enter. The moon was, surprisingly, present, lighting the already pure white buildings further.

I was surprised to find that the feeling from before was gone, just as Sargaus said. Despite this, the scene before me gave more anxiety than comfort, as we moved down the hill and into a city, long forgotten.

~~~~~~

As they made their way into the city, Shinji could not help but feel...disturbed. It was as if the area was unclean, filled with souls which were clinging on desperately, not coming to terms with their own demise. Apparently, his sensitive training paid off. But he would rather give them up as he heard ungodly howls, in every creak ,hole and place.

The interior of the city showed signs of destruction and decay, as building had black patches, shattered roofs and walls or simply reduced to rubble. 

This place is starting to give me the creeps, he thought. He saw several shadows moving, but he simply dismissed it as imaginary, though he knew it was far from the truth.

Though his companion didn't directly say it, he knew that they were going to the ominous tower that stood out in the center. He knew it was their final destination.

He hoped nothing would await them in that tower.

~~~~~~

For over a millennium, no one has ever set foot upon this room. That is, until five hundred years ago. The screech of metal against stone was heard in the immense room, with a final push and moonlight entered. The second time in five hundred years. The figures entered the dark room; however, it became bright as the lamp from one poured forth and lighted the room. 

"Its here." Sargaus announced, walking towards the altar, his foot steps echoing in the surprisingly sparse room.

"Really? I don't see anything here..." Shinji asked dubiously. 

Pushing a stone head of a figurine, the altar shifted nosily to reveal a stairwell below. The stairwell was of simple make, though the dark gap which would meant for traverse gave Shinji very little reason for him to actually enter the dark pit itself.

"You were saying?" Sargaus smirked, before continuing. "It's around here somewhere..."

Shinji was speechless. "How...did you know?"

Sargaus turned around to regard Shinji seriously before breaking into a chuckle, his emerald green eyes saying the same. "It's been five hundred years since I last been here. Of course, I know where to go!" 

He turned back and started walking into the bleak stair-well, Shinji followed hesitantly, unsure of what lurks below. They descended in silence; only sounds were those of foot steps. The only light which gave Shinji comfort was the light of the lamp. Though it took minutes to reach the end, it seemed like a eternity to him, walking endlessly in a bottomless pit.

On the outer end, Sargaus's lamp lighted the dark abyss for them to see. Shinji was awed by the interior architecture. The height of the hallway was no less that 20 metres and the width, at least, was 10 metres wide. But what made him impressed were the seemingly perfect and life-like cravings on the side wall and above. Sargaus saw the bewildered face of Shinji and grinned. "I had the same reaction as you when I first saw this place."

"Well, I had no doubt you did. This place is perfect!" He exclaimed, though in a soft voice. "But what is this place exactly?"

Sargaus then reverted back into his cold, humorless attitude. "Like many places in this continent before, this city was once a populous city, rich and prosperous. But then, they discovered a force known as magic; the driving power in all planes. And not long after, they began experimenting; almost all their studies were devoted to it. And they strove not to make the life's of others better but instead they created a weapon of war. All the nobles tried to wield it, but they all failed miserably. The did not let the commoners to partake, for they feared that they would use its power to undermine their control over the city. They saw the effects of their folly as terrible creatures that were not of this realm, began to lay siege to other cities, in search of the weapon which calls to them. They resisted with some success but eventually they failed. One by one, the magnificent cities fell and they continued on until this place was the last remaining stronghold for humanity on this continent. And a last act of desperation, they built this citadel in hope that it will trap the energies that it emitted, but alas since it was the perfect weapon, the plan failed and in fact strengthened its call, making the demons more frenzied in their raids."

"It didn't take long before the city buckled under the demonic might, and soon, the last remaining inhabitants were forced into this place; trapped within their own creation and were going to be destroyed due to another of their countless creations. It was sheer irony, I might say." 

The way Sargaus spoke so....callously, ignited fear in Shinji, making him shiver involuntarily. He hoped that his state of mind was only temporary. They descended once again down a narrow stairwell, only this time though, it was not hidden. They went deeper and deeper until the stairs ended and they arrived at a massive iron gate at the foot of the stairs.

"And this is where it was mastered and where it was put to rest." He gestured towards the imposing iron door. Immediately, the door opened; making screeching noises as it scratched the stone floor below.

"But in a final act of desperation, one man grasped the powers the weapon gave. Unable to control his powers, he let out a decimating wave of destruction. Gone were the demons and gone also were the remaining survivors. That man was the first of our line and the founder of The Order Of the Passing. The first one to be Death."

Like the previous rooms they had been to, this was no different as it was bare but it had burning candles. Shinji suspected that were magic ones for they gave off particles of energy as they burned. At the end of the huge room, stood an altar, and upon that, laid a scythe. It's appearance was rusty, it was obvious that it had been there for a long time. But Shinji wasn't one to judge a book by its cover. He felt a longing to hold it; even now he could a green aura of energy warping it around it.

Both of them neared the altar, but Sargaus stopped to observe him as Shinji proceeded further until he was in front of it. 

"Now, Shinji, I present you the legendary weapon, Thanatos." He said calmly.

Shinji seemed hesitant, unsure about touching it. Sargaus saw this and said, "It will be your own choice. I will not force you." 

For a moment, Shinji stood, before reaching out to grasp the scythe. He took a forced intake of air as the world around him went black.  

He found himself floating, darkness was everywhere. It took him a few moments before he realized that he was in a dream. A cloaked figure appeared in front of him. Shinji couldn't see his face for his hood covered it in darkness.

Before he could have done anything, the figure spoke in a chilly voice. "This weapon gives whoever who wields it great power. Just as power rends your foes, so must it taint your soul. Plagued for eternity by its power, you shall, be it day or night and forever more." 

"Now choose. Will you bear the burden or run away?"

Those words struck home, but he took in them, now more hesitant than ever. The figure noticed this and said, "Don't worry. Take your time."

He soon took his choice. Confidently, he said, "I accept. I will not run away!"

Shinji could feel the figure smile but was not certain if he did. He snapped out of his musings as the figure spoke once again. 

"Then be reborn, Shinji Ikari, the Apprentice of Death. Now arise Shinji Ikari, the Twilight Bringer."

He felt a surge of energy pass through him, before the world faded from his view once again. Within moments, he was back in the dim lighted room. He felt different, it was as if he had more senses than he had.

"You did well, Shinji." 

The voice sounded strangely familiar to him. He cocked his head to the side to see Sargaus leaning against a pillar of stone.

"Thank yo-" But he was cut off.

Sargaus glanced up, frowning the whole time. "They are here." He turned to the puzzled Shinji and said, "Shinji, get out. Now."

Seeing no response, he growled. Summoning a ball of energy, he hurled it at Shinji, immediately teleporting Shinji to their realm. 

He waited before finally saying, "How long have you been there?"

A figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself to the being who was formerly Death. He wore black robes, unreadable symbols at certain areas of the outfit. A sword was buckled to his belt, located at his waist. His dirty blonde hair was messy, probably due to lack of care or attention to it. His eyes had the same color as Sargaus, emerald green. But it had a tint of black in his. His skin was of a pale quality, it was as if he never walked in the sun before in his entire existence.

"My, my. Is this how you treat an old friend?" 

"Shut up, you corrupted bastard." He unsheathed his sword, positioning it towards the unwanted intruder.

The one in question, simply shrugged. He gave a menacing smile. "Such big words from a little person. Now, where is the boy?"

He smiled confidently. "You will not find him here, Kelein. And if you want to find him, you are going to have to kill me." 

The one known as Kelein stared in mock horror, his eyes dramatically . "Oh, that's too bad. I would have given you another chance to prove yourself worthy but...oh well, I can interrogate your corpse later when I finish with you."

"So, I am safe to assume that you are still a pawn to that dog?" Sargaus's smiled widened as he said that. He knew he hit a sore spot.

Kelein's facial expression darkened considerably upon hearing those words. "I serve a greater power; One that shall let your soul rot eternally!"  

Immediately, the pleasantries were over as he drew out his weapon to strike out suddenly to catch his foe off guard. Of course, Sargaus was prepared and parried the blow.

"I see that your swordplay hasn't degraded over these long years." Kelein commented as he avoided Sargaus's sword. Countering in a series of fast movements, he lashed out brutally and cried, "Of course, I am better than _you_ after all!"

Kelein was repelled back by the intensity of the attack, his face was flush was embarrassment and rage. "That's it! Play time is over! I will make sure that you will suffer forever once we killed you!" 

With that, he screamed a high pitched note. Within moments, moaning and groaning was heard from the stairwell.

Sargaus's face was filled with an emotion he not usually shown.Rage. "You! How _could_ you!?" He pointed an accusing finger at the now smirking Kelein. "Even though you turned, you should have some honor left! Do you now rely on mindless servants to do your work? You disgraced teachings of the Passing. I was a fool to have any hope for you!"

Kelein merely smiled at Sargaus, as he was surrounded by his undead minions.

Sargaus hoped that it would not come to this. He did rather not resort to use this spell but he had been left was no options. Outnumbered and unable to teleport, it has come to this. It was time..., he thought.

An undead ghoul raised his axe to strike Sargaus, but as it came 50 centimeters about his body, the axe was repulsed back by an invisible force shield. The air glowed white at where the axe struck before returning to normal.  

Kelein laughed. "So what if you have erected a force shield, Sargaus? After a certain time, it will fail and you will have no time to recast it again. You are merely delaying your doom."

Sargaus smiled creepily at him. "What makes you so certain?" He began mumbling soft words at first, gradually it became louder. He had raised his arms in front of him as if to catch something.

"Acerbus angelus , accipio thy citatio."

_Angel of Darkness, heed my call._

Kelein blinked, before laughing. "Trying to put a curse on me, eh? Nice try!" Sargaus ignored it as he continued.

"Pensio permaximum pluris, quantuslibet."

_Paying the ultimate price, I will._

"Thy animus desparatus exitium."

_My soul for Destruction.___

At this point, Kelein frowned as he couldn't recall any curse relating to this one his foe was currently chanting. Hmm....I may have heard this somewhere, but where?, he thought as he racked his brain.

"Sino obitus annullare balatro audere opposui nobis."

_Let Death ravage the fools who dare oppose us._

Sargaus had a hint of a smile as he knew that his foe wouldn't expect this coming.

"Ego advoco incoho tibi."

_I call upon thee.  _

Suddenly, it clicked within Kilein's mind. No! It can't be! He couldn't have perfected _that_!, he thought as fear was already cracking on his expression. It was confirmed as a large ball of dark energy gathered, held in between his hands.

"Facio mihi interfectum inferi thy illac." 

_Help me slay those in my path._

For a moment, Sargaus opened up a telepathetic link to the frightened necromancer. "You were saying, Kelein?" His words were laced with venomous innocence. 

He features already took on an insane victory smile. And he knew he would win this small contest. It was a small price to pay to get his final laugh. But it was worth it.

"ETERNAL DOOM!"

He laughed sadistically as he saw Kelein's frightened face as the energy released engulfed him and himself and the rest of Kelein's creations; erasing them from existence.

TBC....


	7. The Return

Author's note: Finished the chapter finally. It's a bit shorter that the previous one but I decided that I rather not make everyone wait for. Btw, R&R people! I appreciate it. Anyways, I present to you the seventh chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

"Contrary to popular belief, Magic does, in a way, exist. It, for the lack of a better term, is the driving force in this world and many others."- Kozo Fuyutsuki, Sub-Commander of NERV.

Paths & Choices: The Return

For a long time, this place was kept in such a way that no matter how many light sources there were in the room, it will always remain dim. One would notice the various selves of books lined properly for any reader's discretion. Though, if one was truly observant, he would notice a form leaning against a stone wall.

Lying prone against the wall, Shinji was idle, in the sense that he is actually doing nothing but staring into the air. The light played on his features as he sat. It was quite some time since he accepted Thanatos and the responsibility that came unconditionally with it. He felt a heavy, unseen weight upon himself but he shrugged it off. His thoughts were aimless, but he didn't care. He knew more spells and tricks than he had before and he guessed that it took it toil much higher than expected.

Finding the energy to turn, he glanced at the said weapon a few feet away from him, now noticing for the first time, its appearance had changed. The layer of rust was now gone, replacing it was a slivery and yet dull metallic surface. Even against the soft colour of orange enhancing its outlook, it still looked unattractive to the eye. But then even he knew not to judge a book by its cover. Though it seemed a bit dull to an average onlooker, he found something strange about it. He squinted at it, trying to find the source of its mysteriousness. And there, he saw. Swirls of reflecting metal were dancing about in an unorganized manner; it was as if it was like a moving liquid mirror of sorts, absorbing bits of light here and there.  

Despite its bizarre appearance, he felt very tempted to touch it, as if it was a part of him. He yearned to feel the cool metal against his skin and he knew he could not deny that part of him. Soon, he found the strength to reach to the scythe. And upon the contact of hand on the metallic pole, he felt faint. But it was gone the minute it had appeared. A small breeze brushed past him, ruffling his hair a bit.

"I suppose I should tell you what to expect now."

The voice startled Shinji, who turned to the voice behind him, and saw that it was the same one who he saw in his..."Ascension". And like last time, his face was hidden by a hood.

"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked bluntly, for once not caring too much on formalities, turning his head to face away from the being.  

The figure replied in a smug tone, "I am just here to give you some advice, that's all...after that you will see no more me until I deem fit."

"..."

Seeing the silence as a sign to go on, he smiled secretly, "Go and search for a note on the table. Take care until then, young one. You will see me again soon enough."

Shinji merely raised an eyebrow at that, turning his head back to ask a question, only to see blank, unoccupied air. He was starting to develop a dislike towards the strange entity's disappearing act.  

'Well, that was rather short.' He thought.

The figure already having disappeared, he thought it would be best to act upon his words. He got up and proceeded to the dimly lighted table. On it, he saw countless amounts of papers on it, but one caught his attention. By instinct, he pulled it out of the large, scattered mess of papers.

It was an instruction manual of sorts. And from the looks of it, it was hastily written. He glanced through until his eyes came on a single sentence. 

"Shinji, go back to your world...It has been fun." 

Despite the shortness of the sentence, he already knew that Sargaus was dead. Call it a gut feeling or a sixth sense, but nonetheless, he knew. Don't ask him why. It was plainly a fact to him; a known statement. The sentence merely proved it further.

Surprisingly, he didn't feel any sadness or regret. He only felt acceptance. He supposed that becoming Death would remove any remorse or heavy thoughts about it. But still, he couldn't help but feel wrong about the attitude he indirectly adopted. His compassionate nature wouldn't allow him as a lone tear drop leaked onto his expressionless face. He didn't say anything as he didn't know any or have any religious affiliations. Silence was all he needed.  

Shedding the last of his unseen tears for his part time friend and teacher, he quickly resumed in learning the secrets of Astral projection.

~~~~~~~                               

The city wasn't known for its welcoming effect on travelers and strangers. In fact, it had a reputation more for giving travelers bad impression rather than giving them a warmer welcome. It dark streets naturally enforced this line of thought.

Thieves and thugs usually operated at night in those types of streets, often 'socially doing their job. Thug to victim interactions was pretty much the same; one sided as always. Such an interaction was taking place in the grime layered street.

"Listen _boy_, I don't give a flying fuck as to where you are going. Not as long you give me your valuables." The thug growled as especially emphasized on the word 'boy' in an attempt of intimidation. Unfortunately for him, the boy in question merely narrowed his eyes irritably at the thug's pathetic intimidating method. As a further effect, he grabbed his would-be victim's arms and waved a sharp dagger at him in a thug like fashion.

Areilas let out a soft, feral growl. He was feeling rather under the weather today so he didn't pay any heed to the mortal earlier. He didn't expect utter stubbornness from the cash-strapped thug.     

"Let go." He commanded as the last remnants of his patience on the verge of collapse. The waiting was getting on his nerves. Damn this city for its annoying inhabitants. Damn Tabris for making him wait so long. Having being assaulted by no less than 20 people everyday since day one, Areilas was naturally fuming.

As if the man didn't hear, he still clutched on tightly.

Fed up with the being subtle, he used his free arm to punch the thug in the stomach, who immediately let go of his hand. And with a quick movement of his arm, he snapped and twisted the thug's neck in an unnatural way. A sadistic smile graced his lips as he performed the act. He took little pleasure in killing the weak but this one pushed him to the limits. Not that he had much limits, mind you.

The limp corpse fell into a lump pile onto the cool street floor, forgotten by his killer as he walked away as though nothing happened. That was the 15th time this night, he thought, annoyed at the sheer persistence the denizens of the city presented. He resisted the tempting urge to set the surrounding houses aflame.

Controlling his angry, he prayed that Tabris was right about this...if not, heads will roll, including that son of a bitch. He was getting sick of staying in this hell-hole of a city any longer.

But he would wait.

~~~~~~

Shinji tried out the technique once more, only to be repelled violently to the floor by a red invisible barrier. He rubbed his head, wincing slightly as he touched a sore spot.  

He spent the last two hours trying to perfect the technique, but so far he only managed the basic concept of it. But no matter, that can wait. 

The note also had a 'recipe' list for his trip, something which mostly speaks for itself; apparently the whole thing was planned. The very detailed instructions it asked of him to perform was already a dead give-away. 

Still, he would do what was asked of him, for he trusted Sargaus enough. 

With a motion of his hand, a blue portal was conjured up, lighting up the surround space with a blue hue. The light reflected off Thanatos's large curved blade, some of it absorbed by the strange and yet unique weapon. With Thanatos in hand, he stepped into his self created portal.

~~~~~~

Shinji walked through the dark and sleazy streets. Already, he could feel himself being watched from behind. Every time he turned back, he only saw moving shadows. But it was enough for him. He sensed that the one following him was no threat, probably a thug. 

He continued down the empty moon-lit stone road, every so often glancing at his surroundings. He checked his small pouch which is attached securely on his leather belt. He had the necessary ingredients for the portal but he lacked the location. The only thing the note said about it was 'you will know it when you see it'. 

Yeah...talk about the amount of clarity in those words, he thought sarcastically.  

*WHOOSH*

A bolt impaled itself dangerously close Shinji's foot. He jumped back, scanning for the source of the attack. His eyes fell upon a hidden figure perched above a roof. 

The figure stood up, the shadows still cloaking him in anonymity. Still, he could see his eyes. Cool azure met bright emerald, fighting an unseen war away from the world. 

"Who are you?!" Shinji demanded, breaking away from the staring stand-off.

The figure moved into a bowing manner. "Oh, where are my manners?" He moved into a new spot where he was visible to Shinji. "I am Areilas, Twilight Bringer." His eyes glinted with malice. "I am afraid you will have to die. Good bye."

Immediately, both of them drew their weapons. Clutching Thanatos tightly, Shinji eyed his opponent to find any weakness he could exploit.    

"I see you have obtained Thanatos, Twilight Bringer." Areilas said as the air in front of him crackled with energy. "I hope my blade matches up to yours."

Striking the air in front of him with his long sword, a ball of flame appeared and whizzed towards Shinji.

Dodging the flaming projectile, he let off a lighting charge from Thanatos, which promptly destroyed a portion of the roofing Areilas used to stand on.

Looking up, Shinji braced himself for a strike from the airborne Areilas. With a loud 'clang', they were pitting their weapons forward for superiority.

Breaking away, Shinji slashed forward, hitting only empty space. 

His opponent raised an eyebrow. "You have the power but you _definitely lack the skill."_

Areilas's lips' curved into a smile. "What a pity."

With inhuman speed, he closed the distance, preparing a series of feint blows to take Shinji's attention off his true objective.  

He blocked one blow after the other. Shinji then lowered his guard. It was for a small time but it was enough. Quickly, he slammed the flat side of his blade into Shinji's unguarded stomach. Shinji crashed into a nearby building before he fell onto the ground. 

Pain registered on his mind as he coughed up blood. Seeing Areilas slowly walking towards him, he conjured up a last ditch effort in the form of an energy ball. 

If I go, I will take you with me..., he thought as he placed the last bits of energy into it, rage and pain taking over. The spell was one of those recently transferred into him; it was particularly lethal, upon the one who receives the full brunt of its power. But he didn't care now. He was now beyond lines of compassion.

His eyes changed into crimson as the ball progressively got bigger. Thanatos, which was located a few metres from him also glowed a light red.     

The normal colour of his eyes returned as he fired the ball. It rushed and crashed into Areilas, enveloping him in an overwhelming sphere of black fire. 

The fires lingered for a moment before finally disappearing. In its wake, Areilas was barely standing but his face held an amused expression.

That was the last time he saw before fading into unconsciousness. 

~~~~~~

That hurt, but at least my clothes were not burnt, he thought numbly.

Despite the pain, he couldn't help but grin. At last, he found an opponent worth his time.

Still, he was amazed at the progress made by the young teen which Death has chosen to be its physical advocate. His powers grew faster than he predicted. The boy had potential. The spell he used against could destroy him if Shinji was at a higher level of mastery. Still, instead of being jealous, he felt a bit of respect towards the unconscious teen.

Now he was, at this point, finding it more a waste to kill such a competent fighter.  

Approaching Shinji, Areilas sensed something from the pouch on Shinji belt. He reached out to snatch it forcefully from its position, barely putting in any effort, even in this weakened state.

Loosening the string, he opened it to find a small pentagram. A five sided one, at that. From his small knowledge of magical items, he knew that it was used as a focal point to allow a single person to transverse the different planes. 

Rather than kill the only one who managed to scratch him so far, he decided that it would be best if he sealed Shinji into the mortal plane. 

Laying it on the open street, he began chanting. Every second, it became louder and louder until a red portal was ripped into existence.

Smiling coyly, he dragged Shinji with one arm and held the still glowing Thanatos in another. Now a few feet from it, he stopped. 

He lowered his head near Shinji's ear. "We will meet again." He whispered, before throwing him into the crimson portal. 

Looking at the weapon in his hand, he said to it, "You will serve your new master well, wouldn't you?"

It didn't reply. Not that he expected it to anyways.

Having said that, he threw the weapon into the same portal, disappearing into its red depths.

Then, he pointed his fingers at it and chanted. A five pointed star appeared ominously and soon faded. Soon after, the portal closed.

Satisfied with his work, he fled the scene.

~~~~~~

To be honest, Gendo Ikari wasn't originally a person who woke up in the morning early. The years spent by having deadlines barely met made him take up the habit. Still, it doesn't hurt to wake up early, for someone who is known to know everything at a single time.

He was now drinking Peruvian coffee, despite the various rumors that he didn't need sleep or coffee. Those were untrue; he was a human, yes. But he was also a puppet master, a good one at that. He ignored them, for he didn't care what they thought of him. As long as they performed their part, he would ignore them. 

*Beep*

A small blinking red light on his telephone signaled that a call was waiting to be replied. Still sipping his coffee, Gendo pressed the receiver button.

He stated a single word. "Report."

He took a big gulp of the coffee as the frantic voice of a section-2 agent hastily replied back. "Sir, we found the Third-Child."

Upon hearing those words, Gendo chocked and sprayed the contents of his mouth onto the documents he so painfully took to finish. Looking at the ruined and coffee stained pile on his desk, Gendo couldn't do anything but sigh.  

"Sir?" The voice said, waiting for further instructions. Gendo snapped his attention towards the new information which is digested by his brain.

Pressing into the same button, Gendo said, "Bring him to HQ. I will take over from there." It maybe a fake sent by SEELE but he was willing to take the chance. After all, if this was a fake, information could be extracted.

"Yes, sir." With that, the phone promptly hung up. Returning his attention to the mess in front of him, he couldn't help but think of one sentence.

_This is going to be an interesting and yet long day..._

To Be Continued...   

Author's Blah Blah: Not much to write here. You will notice that I didn't answer any questions. (Not that there were any questions to begin with...) Some questions you put forth will be answered in the next installment. And on the reminding note: Plz read and review! I am sure if you do that, I will post the next chapter faster. Until then, I am signing off. See ya!


	8. Seeing Red

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Paths & Choices: Seeing red

A knock echoed through his office. _They have arrived, he thought smugly._

"Come in."

The sound of unlocking doors was heard as the door opened smoothly. Going through them was a boy, about15 years of age, dressed in what it seems to be a school uniform. Flanked at each side were two burly men from Section-2. Truth be told, it was rather overkill to send two professionals to handle a child. He handled matters much more serious than this; still it pays to be sure, no matter how small. Now wasn't an exception.

Leaving the boy in the middle in the room, they left, having done their duty. Gendo examined him from his desk and was surprised at the striking resemblance the boy in front of him had with Shinji, despite his hair being longer. But he knew this wasn't Shinji. How did he know? Looking into ones eyes was one way to tell whether one is a fake or not. 

But if the boy was truly his son, he would have either uncertainty or fear in his eyes; even then he would rather avoid his piercing gaze.

However, this boy had met his stare head on. Try as he might, Gendo could not find any type of emotion in those blank and dark blue depths. From previous encounters with his deceased son, he noted the subtle quality in his eyes. Now, he could only find nothing, also noting that the eye colour was much darker than he expected. He would shudder if he could but his body wouldn't let him.

_Yes, those eyes...they are not his_, Gendo affirmed to himself, willing to risk one more test.

 He formulated a plan. If the boy failed this one, he will be eliminated. He didn't think that the boy would pass actually. It was to more serve his sense of irony than anything else. Despite what everyone thinks, he had a sense of humor, albeit it being a tad sadistic.

Immediately, he said in his icy tone, "You will have a sync test. These men will escort you to the locker rooms and to the Eva Bay. Try anything suspicious and you will be shot immediately." 

"..."  

He pushed a button, signaling the guards. Expectantly moments later, a pair of large men came and escorted the boy out of the room. Glancing back, he made brief eye contact with Gendo before being pushed by a guard. 

Left alone in his large daunting office, Gendo tried his best to shake off the cool feeling those eyes left him.

He didn't succeed much in that prospect.

~~~~~~~

Alone in the locker room, the boy stood passively. One wouldn't notice the colour change of his eyes. From dark blue, almost bordering black, it changed to lively azure. Up until then, he wasn't in control of his body nor did he remember anything; all he felt now woozy and fatigue.

"What is going on here...?" He murmured to himself, his brain functions resuming normal operations. 

_'You are in NERV's pilot locker room, Shinji....'  a_ voice boomed in his already sore mind.

Immediately, the boy jumped, before he calmed down and asked quietly, "Who are you?"

The voice replied, faking the hurt in its tone, '_We have met a few times before...how could you forget me?'_

 "..." If Shinji had any indication of who it is was, he didn't show it.

_Nevermind__, just change quickly into your plug suit, I will explain later, the guards are coming, the voice added hastily._

Wordlessly, Shinji changed into the plug suit. Seconds later, the guards came in holding batons. Eyeing the large batons and their burly owners warily, he decided to avoid a confrontation; the last thing he needed was numerous bruises on his already sore body. 

"Move along." The gruff voice of the guard ordered, seeing Shinji not moving. He pushed Shinji towards the door. He staggered for a moment from the push, but he didn't resist. 

Shinji was led towards the room where they conducted Sync-tests. He was placed within the metallic shell under the supervision of the not too friendly guards.  

He would get his answers from the ethereal being later, he thought as LCL flooded the plug.

~~~~~~

Looking at the sync test results, Ritsuko couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in wonder. She had been set free from her dark cell about two weeks ago, but her time were to be spent in NERV. From what she could see, something was stirring within NERV. Today's hushed up sync test for a candidate made 

"78.4 percent..." She mumbled

"What?" Misato popped her head through the open doorway. 

Ritsuko looked up from the report to glance at her purple haired woman who was somewhat her friend. "Oh, hi, Misato."

"What are you looking at?" She again asked.

"Sync test results." She replied curtly.

"Who's the one who got so high?"

"It is Asuka's." She lied. "She has been improving since...you know." 

While it maybe a white lie, she noticed that the second child had been doing better now, so it maybe considered a half truth. What you didn't know could hurt you, she thought.

"Okay, I will tell her the good news later on, perhaps I might even bring her out for dinner." With that, Misato disappeared from her office. Misato always seemed to possess the ability to appear and disappear from sight at times. 

She sighed, she knew how much they both needed a break. Shinji's death had affected them all in someway. Misato dealt it with beer while Asuka masked herself with indifference. Turning her thoughts towards her work, she looked at the blood sample she took from the boy which was being checked out as of now.  Still, she was curious as to why Unit 1, which would normally reject everyone except Shinji, would now accept a boy who looked alike to its former pilot.

It would take some time to confirm his DNA.

Regardless, she still had to give these reports to the commander. She wondered why he sounded rushed when he ordered a sync test.

_Either he knows something or he getting paranoid again...._, with that she left for the commander's office.

~~~~~~

Artificial sunlight beamed upon the office of Gendo Ikari, commander of NERV. A title he used to his advantage from the time he possessed it. He waited for the last test result of the battery of tests performed on the mysterious boy.

A series of knocks interrupted his thoughts.

"Proceed."

The clicking of the opening door echoed through the large room, revealing Fuyutsuki. He had a worried expression on his wrinkled face as he walked towards the seated man.

"The DNA test had proven positive." Fuyutsuki placed the folder for Gendo to view. "What does this mean, Ikari? The scrolls didn't say anything about this."

Despite the show of concern over the matter, Gendo did not move from his posture. "This doesn't mean anything. The council may have sent a clone; they **do **have the resources to do it, after all."

"A clone couldn't achieve a 78.4% synchronization with Unit 01."  Fuyutsuki pointed out, still apprehensive of the situation at hand. "And I am sure Yui would know the difference."

Again, Gendo didn't show any sign of movement, but Fuyutsuki saw through enough to see the man frown. He knew that he had struck a nerve.

Sensing the delicacy of the subject, Fuyutsuki turned the direction of the conversation around. "What of Dr. Akagi? Surely, she wouldn't tell anyone about this?" 

He smirked in response. "The good doctor knows of the implications of leaking this out."

"Ah, I see." Fuyutsuki nodded his head. "So, what are **you going to do to the boy?"**

Gendo looked at his subordinate; revealing nothing as to what he would say in his sentence. "I am enlisting him as the sixth child, assigned to Unit 01."

Fuyutsuki showed surprise before quickly covering it up. "Ah.....I see. Will you be placing him in Major's care then?"

"No, she will find out eventually if I did. Placing him in a position where we can observe him silently is a much more feasible option." 

"Hmm, I see. Shall I make the preparations?"

"Do as you wish."

~~~~~~

The red dimmed sun cast its light upon the train, illuminating Shinji and his surroundings in a tint of red. It was evening and soon darkness will fall. His eyes were down cast, pondering the situation which laid before him. 

Seated in a train whose occupants were him and not too far off were a few Section 2 agents, he could feel their life force; A dull grey, to be exact.  But he didn't care though; He came under his mentor's request, nothing more and nothing less. He knew he had to prioritize his objectives. His first order of business would be to check his surroundings for information. As it stands, he would be probably stuck here for a while and for reasons he didn't really know, so getting a vague idea of what is going on would be the best course of action. 

Ever since he came back, he could feel, smell, see and hear much better than before. The heightening of his senses didn't disorientate him anymore than a fish in water, making him wonder why he felt so awfully accustomed to it. 

Strangely enough, he felt tired, as he seemed fine before. And, he was still waiting for the ethereal being to appear.

He felt a small breeze pass when he realized someone had arrived.

"Don't think too hard. Your questions will be answered in time." Shinji looked up to see the figure that appeared before him earlier, which was now sitting across him. A hood covered his face like before, the sun's rays failing to light up the covering darkness.

Shinji showed neither surprise nor shock, only neutrality. "You are the one who spoke to me today, aren't you?"

"My, my, aren't we straight to the point today?" 

"It's probably because I don't really trust you." Shinji answered dryly. "Now, I want my answers." 

"Shoot." He said as he removed the hood, revealing his face. His face was ageless, locked in youth. Pale his skin was, almost on par with Rei; it was the only way he could describe it, but it had little or no life in it whereas Rei could out color him if compared. Locks of long platinum hair were messily strayed about. The one thing that separated him from a normal person were his eyes; bleak and never ending. 

"First of all, who or what are you?"

"Hmm, now that is a tough one...," The ageless being said. "You could call me a guide; a fail-safe within an immense weapon of destruction. I am bound to it, just as you are."

Shinji just smirked, uncomfortable warmth passed through as he did unconsciously. 

"Thanatos."

"Correct."

"And your name is...?" Shinji looked expectantly towards the unnamed one.

The pale skinned being pondered for a moment, a puzzled expression on his face. "My name? I haven't used it for quite some time....but I believe I was once called...Lagieas." 

"Lagieas...the one who does not age..." 

"Correct again. But I believe now is not the time for talk." Logieas said coolly, as if anticipating something to happen, Shinji caught a glint of smile in those eyes.

"What do you-" Shinji began but a sudden wave of nostalgia came over him, making him unconsciously cover his mouth. As more time passed, the weaker Shinji began to feel. Lagieas didn't move to help the inexperienced boy, only watching with bemused interest and coldness.   

"The curse is beginning to show its effects...hmph," He murmured, standing up to face Shinji. With a wave of his hand, Shinji felt much better; the weakness momentarily disappearing. The cold look which Lagieas gave Shinji still remained.  "I am bound to Thanatos as you to it. And, you will not insult it, curse induced or not. But let me remind you this, you haven't mastered Thanatos yet, nor do I think you ever will. It's existence is greater than you and you will give it the respect it is due or be crushed by it."

The intimidating look vanished from his face, as if never there. Instead, a unnerving smile took its place, the change of  attitude didn't calm Shinji in the least. "And remember, Shinji boy, control is the key." 

The train passed under a bridge, casting the carriage into temporary darkness.

Lagieas disappeared from sight.

At that moment, angry thoughts began to course through his mind uncontrolled. The uncomfortable warmth surged forth again.

_Arrogant bastard, who does he think-, He thought angrily, before feeling the awful wave of nostalgia overcame him again. Immediately, he let his anger simmer, until he was calm again._

Never in his life had he lost so much control over his emotions or thoughts before; his upbringing made sure of that. His thoughts were interrupted when Lagieas repeated what he said earlier with painfully loud clarity.

_Remember, control is the key, Lagieas purred, making echoes within Shinji's mind. Shinji's cursed anger sprung up once again, despite his attempts to control it. "I am trying, you bas-" He screamed at the ethereal being that was know as Lagieas, before wincing at the pain the nostalgia wave brought him._

_You know the answer to your curse. The problem is: You don't really try correcting your situation..., Lagieas cheerfully said, making Shinji angrier if it was even possible at his current state. _

Mocking laughter was heard by Shinji as Lagieas disappeared from the mind of Death before he could even resort.

His anger still clouded his mind, making him gasp with pain as he fought to control the unquenched urge to destroy everything in his way; so much that he barely noticed a grey aura which belonged to a Section 2 agent, who was checking up on him. Not giving the agent a chance to speak, he turned his head towards the unsuspecting mortal, glaring and letting out a feral growl, twisting his features into those which people would normally associate with the devil.

The unfortunate one stumbled back, still reeling from the effects of the glare. Quickly, he turned tail and attempted to walk back to his co-workers with unsteady feet. Shinji could have sworn that the man pissed his pants, judging from the smell of the air.

But he ignored it as he snapped his fingers, the air around him immediately purified. 

He turned his head back towards the amber sun tinted glass window opposite him, his eyes widened with shock upon seeing his reflection, two glowing red orbs staring back at him.

They were his...

~~~~~~

By the time he arrived, night had settled on the city. With a small suitcase given to him by Section 2 before they left him, Shinji opened the door 716 and entered it, on the lights located near the entrance. As the lights lit up, he surveyed the apartment he was assigned with a small interest. It was small 3 room apartment and was very under furnished. It was situated on the 7th floor, giving it a good view of the metallic city. The building itself was built in a deserted area where crime is common. He was still perturbed by his eye "condition", but he momentarily forgotten about it when he examined his new dwelling. 

The living room was a bit big for him alone, it was almost as big as the one in the Katsugari apartment, though his was decorated a bland grey, with only a TV set and a couch to take up only some of its empty space. Across that, a balcony was located; giving a better view of the city or to take a breath of fresh air in the morning. The kitchen was, like the other rooms of the apartment, small. A few cup ramen were placed upon the counter, obviously left there for his consumption. His room was no different then the one he previously inhabited while the toilet was sufficient enough for his needs.

Satisfied, he went to his room, placing the suit case he carried onto the desk. He opened it up to find about a few hundred dollars in cash, a few bottles of hair dye, documents, tinted contact lenses and last but not least, a ID card.

The cash was his "allowance", so to speak. The documents were the address of his school, which he was instructed to go tomorrow, school books provided conveniently in the room. The dyes and the contact lenses were for matching the picture in the ID card. The card said his name was Iraki Fujin, the picture resembling him except for the hair color, which were to be changed with the dyes provided. 

He decided to remain passive under the situation turns for the better, he was stuck here until further notice, whether he liked it or not. Stifling a yawn, Shinji decided to go to sleep, forgoing the cup ramen in favor of something better in the morning. He was again unusually tired. Questions which were supposed to be answered were pushed aside, for the need to rest overpowered them all. They could all wait tomorrow, he thought.

And so, he slept. But this first sleep for him was unlike any other. For the second he dreamt, a life was extinguished.  Many people died due to natural causes, nobody noticing the slightly higher jump in mortality rates.  

And for the second time in history, Death was back in business in the mortal world.

TBC...  

Author's notes: Sorry if I made you all wait that long for an update but I was tied up with schoolwork and other whatnot. And since school has started for me, the updates will take longer, I suppose. But I will try to hasten it the best I can. I may be considering to rewrite the previous chapters so that may put off chapter 9 for a while if I do rewrite them. No Q&A because I am tired. Its 12.30am where I am at -_-.  I apologize if this chapter is not to your expectations. Many thanks to the people who continue to read or review this piece of fiction. Good night folks, I gotta catch some shut eye. 

P.S: Anybody interested in being a prereader? I am accepting two for now.  


	9. Treading on Flames

Before I begin….FAQ time!!

DandyDoo: Trust me, that won't happen for quite some time.

NICKNACK: Our favorite commander is only taking potshots in the dark ^_^.

bride_of_lister: I get that often. ^_^

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

The smell of smoke and sulphur reached his nose as Tabris sat on his throne with his eyes closed and posture lax. The flickering flames of the numerous torches lit the room to a bare minimum, its light faintly illuminating his pallid features. His wicked looking sword lay a few feet away from him, embedded deeply in the cold granite floor. His hand held a mug of iron with a amber liquid within, reflecting light from its amber depths. 

This was probably only time when he could have some quiet time to himself, since the Baron of Hell himself also had his limits. Not to mention, his invasion force had been put down by the realm defenders. He found out again that it was futile to go against what had been written in ages past. 

There **were** others like him; many planes of existences which were also keenly interested in the Plane of Dreams and the Plane of Mortals, as he had been. All of them had waged countless wars upon each other for as long as he could remember, each one vying for these two prominent realms while its inhabitants are unbeknownst to their situation. He knew this for a fact as he himself headed a few campaigns to gain a foothold in these two energy rich trophies. 

He was also rather glad that the first Death had sealed off the planes from all of them; if he couldn't get, no one will. Still, he had a few dimensions under his control so it was not too much of a big deal. Patience was one key quality he had over the other warlords. Many of them perished during the resulting turmoil caused by that damned action which denied them from the planes. From what had been a hundred, dwindled to a mere five.

Still, the barriers won't last forever. The one on the Plane of Dreams was already proof for that matter. He decided he already pondered enough on the subject, turning his thoughts towards the newly appointed Twilight bringer.

He had already examined the boy; knowledge is power as one would put it. Potential-wise, the boy was limitless. But in present terms of power, he was relativity average, perhaps even weak. His speed could make up for that fault, if properly channeled of course. Ah, but his most redeeming point is that Thanatos accepted him as its new 'master'…for now. Of course, the weapon wasn't like any other, possessing free will and an almost unlimited magick potential. Sadly, he knew that it would adjust its power to that of its current master, thus making it only a pitiful shadow of its true self…for now. But an entire army could be wiped out within minutes at its current power level. 

But the superiority of it wouldn't convince those who knew of its price to its power. Slowly but surely, it takes control of its wielder, it is merely a matter of time before its reins on the boy is set in. It also induces a rage which blinds the wielder to the world, sowing the seeds of insanity. Only those who are true undead could possibly hope it use it and live to tell the tale.

A ridiculous price to pay for power, for what good would power be if you are not able to use it?

With all that taken into consideration, he didn't really need to destroy the boy by his hand; Thanatos would do the deed. Still, it would be amusing to watch how long the boy could hold out against it. He glanced at the now warm liquid in the mug, and with a look which could only be described as disgust, his hand crushed the metallic mug.

_'After all_,' he thought, watching the blood red liquid seep. '_Thanatos__ wasn't cursed for nothing.'_

~~~~~~

Paths & Choices: Treading on Flames   

Silence.

He hated the silence…always.

It gave him time to think. To think about his decisions. 

A dark void surrounded him where threads of every color and size were located within. All of them were someone's bond to the world. How he knew, he didn't really know. But all that matter was that he knew. He eyed a golden one; it belonged to a child no more than four years, suffering from a rare disease, a burden he would gladly remove . He held it gently in his grasp, before cutting it in one swift motion with Thanatos. The thread fell lifelessly to the ground as its light seeped into the dark. From there on, he became  a series of movements. Methodically, he cut each one by one; every one of them lost their glow before being assimilated into the dark.

For some reason, he felt…pained. He knew he was releasing them from their pain. But he couldn't understand why his heart hated every moment of it. The ritual left him with an unearthly feeling; another reason why he thought he detested it so. He couldn't decide whether the impersonal taking of life or the whole situation made him uncomfortable. 

He looked at Thanatos with doubt, as if expecting it to answer his questions; the great scythe was silent, surely mocking him with its translucent glow. He looked around, only darkness made his view. His expression was a sad one. 

_'Was this what I wanted…?' _He thought as he faded into the darkness.

~~~~~~~

Morning had come, the darkness which lingered on only existed as shadows during the day, waiting for the night to embrace them once again. 

Asuka walked down the empty street, heading towards the place she called school. The road was rather empty because it wasn't linked into main sections of the city, only to the more rural and residential parts of the city. If one would pass by her, they would only see a girl whose focus was on her thoughts. Her thoughts were centered on the boy she knew as a former roommate and pilot. Shinji, whom she thought would pull through any shit the skies could throw at them. She felt the unexpected tinge of loss from then to now, and she was angry that she had become so damn emotional thanks to that baka.

And damn, today was too sickening bright for her taste. 

But she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way of life. Not now, or ever. The weak die and the strong will live; it was the rule of life as she had always known it. She was assured of her superiority; she was one of the EVA pilots! A savior of Humanity! She was the best there was! 

'Was.', Asuka bitterly reminded herself. 'a past tense.'

With that, she continued on to school, feeling bitter and resentment at herself for letting herself care.

~~~~~~

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

Shinji groaned as he dragged himself towards the bathroom. Upon reaching his destination, he caught sight of his reflection. Azure orbs stared back.

'Good, it's not red….yet.' He sighed, turning to the digital clock on the bathroom wall. 7.15 Am, it showed in a bright green through a quartz screen. 

He was supposed to leave for school 15 minutes ago, but he didn't care. All he registered was the numb feeling in his body. He had not forgotten last night, and his body ached as if tired or had the life sucked out of it. He didn't know how it came to this but he definitely didn't enjoy the…sensation, if one could call it that. Forcing his reluctant body to move, he dragged himself back to his room to change as his muscles screamed in protest. He winced as he grabbed the shirt from the open cupboard, having moved too suddenly for his arm's comfort. 

Buttoning his shirt slowly to try avoiding any more unwanted pain, Shinji glanced at Thanatos, which was at his bedside, glowing softly in its semi translucent state. He didn't really notice it before but it was taller than him, his bed barely supported the seemingly unwieldy weapon. He regarded it coldly before grabbing his school bag and ID card. He didn't feel like himself today, somehow he knew that Thanatos had a part in it.

"Let's go, Shinji." He murmured to himself, placing his green contacts on. He glanced at his reflection before turning to leave with his bag in tow.  "Green eyes, brown hair. Just wonderful." He muttered before closing the door.

~~~~~~

Rei Ayanami walked down the streets, deserted with only a few cars passing by. She enjoyed the silence for it allowed her to think. A breeze blew, making her hair stand. She paused for a moment, rubbing her hands to gain heat for her cold body. While her facial features didn't betray her feelings of cold, her body shivered ever so slightly.

_'So cold…' _

Surprisingly, the only time she felt like this was when Ikari's death reached her. She wondered whether if she genuinely nurtured her feelings towards him or was it due to the remaining feelings of materiality from the soul she held. 

But she could not know now. 

And, she banished her thoughts as she continued towards school, for once hating the silence.   

~~~~~~

The students chatted noisily before class had started. Word had passed around that a new student had transferred to their class. While there had been one class of 15 year olds during the previous year, more and more people shifted back to Toyko-3 once it was apparent the Angels weren't coming back. Though the previous attack proved them otherwise and discouraged some from returning, the majority flocked back to the city fortress, hoping for new job and business opportunities, often bringing their children along for convenience. And in turn, it had increased the school's student population fairly quickly. 

The class quieted as the old sensei entered, walking laboriously towards his desk. He seemed disconcerted as he quickly got out the class register. 

"Well, firstly I would like to introduce a new transfer student here today." The old sensei said in his monotonous voice, his discomfort hidden while motioning for someone to come forward.

The student, about the same height as the rest of the males in the class, had rather light brown hair which seemed to overshadow his features. His brownish hair was a bit long compared to the other boys in the class, though it only could cover his eyes. But it still allowed his emerald eyes to be visible to the outside world. Most of the female population gave him attentive stares, much to the displeasure of the boys.

"Hello, I am Iraki Fujin," He said in an icy cool voice, which spoke in volumes that he wasn't here by his own accord. "I transferred from Osaka-2 to Toyko-3 just a few days ago. I hope we can be friends." 

His tone, however, suggested otherwise.   

"Okay…Mr Iraki, you are to sit in the empty seat next to Koyobashi." The sensei said, adjusting his glasses. "Koyobashi?" The request came expectedly.

The youth in question raised his hand in a bored fashion. The empty desk was next to a window. Shinji, or Fujin as otherwise known as, promptly maneuvered himself towards his seat.

Seeing that the new student was seated, the sensei began yet another lecture on the Second Impact.

~~~~~~

"Now when the Second Impact occurred, many people like myself and your parents…." 

Shinji sat dully in his seat, listening to the teacher drone on about the Second Impact; something which he detested like the rest of the class. How the sensei managed to rehashed the same topic over and over again was beyond him. 

'Probably scripted, perhaps.' He thought, fiddling his blue pen. The clock above the black board showed that he still had a few more hours left before school ends, much to his displeasure. The droning went on.

'_Enough was enough_.'

He decided to tune out the monotonous voice with the rest of his classmates. However, unlike them, he wasn't thinking about idle thoughts.

He tried to think about what to do now, and it all came crashing back to the request that Sargaus asked of him. '_Why ask me to come back here_,' He thought, frustrated at his plight. '_What would you have me do here now that I have arrived?!'_ The more he pondered about it, the angrier he became at his late-mentor.  __

He felt a tingly feeling. 

_'What…?'_

The warm and painful sensation exploded at full force, gnawing at the back of his mind like a deseperate vulture. It took all his will power to resist shouting out and doubling back in pain, the clenched fists and sweating was already attracting attention. Instinctively, he took a sharp intake of air to calm down. Within a moment, he relaxed as he exhaled a sigh, the pain vanishing once more. He focused his thoughts once more onto his predicament. 

He could only wait for something or a sign to come out, and it meant that he had to be reactive. He hated being reactive; it just gave fate more chances to screw things up for him.  

Questions like 'What to do now?' or 'Where do I start?' again swirled around in his mind, this time anger not present. While pondering, he failed to notice the voice calling out for his name.

"Mr. Iraki! Would you please answer my question!?" The sensei's yelling broke Shinji away from his concentration. He found that most of the class staring at him upon his arrival back to the present.

Shinji managed to smile sheepishly despite his troubling thoughts. "What?"

~~~~~~

School ended. Students poured out of the compound, going off to the mall or home. In all, a normal day. The afternoon sun glared upon the city, making Shinji wince as a bright light shone upon his face as he exited the shade of the building and into the fraying afternoon sun.

The sound of hard leather made him stop. He already knew who was behind him.

_'Section-2_', he thought smugly. _'About time.'_

He flipped around, seeing the foreign yet familiar black dressed man with shades. 

"You are to report to NERV immediately," The agent said, no emotion whatsoever in his voice. "The Commander detests waiting."

Shinji nodded blankly and turned back. Satisfied, the agent stalked out of sight and into the shadows. Without looking, he already knew that he would be followed anyways. 

Oddly, he felt a numb pain on his mind as he proceeded 

~~~~~~

Misato Katsuragi was getting over her charge's death pretty well considering her methods.

Well, if you could call getting drunk every other night a method. Though, the third Child's demise wasn't the only thing which was enough reason to be hung over every other morning..

The fact that she was indirectly using them to get revenge on the Angels never at all crossed her mind, until now. If confronted to the question, she would deny them outright. But she knew better. Deep down inside, she knew she used the Children for her petty, if not insignificant revenge against the Angels. She developed bonds with them during that chaotic time, helping her forget her guilt. 

Until recently.

The loss of Shinji was a rough shove to reality. It showed her that if she was not careful, she could lose Asuka too. Even though the red head was not as close to her as Shinji had been, she had considered her family. But what caused her to be depressed was the fact that she still wanted the Angels dead at the risk of Rei or Auska. The guilt she had buried resurfaced again.

" Major, I would like you to meet the Sixth Child." The blonde haired scientist said coolly, who currently was holding a checklist of sorts.

The Sixth Child was a stunning addition to the already ill matched pilots, he wasn't pale like Rei but it was enough to pass off as fair. The brown mop of hair was fairly overgrown and unruly, hiding his eyes from her view. His lips were straight, not showing any hint of anxiety or nervousness. 

She forced a smile. "Misato Katsuragi. Pleased to meet you."

The Sixth extended his hand, a cool smile curving. "Iraki Fujin. Pleased to meet you, Katsuragi-san."

It was then she caught a glimpse of his eyes. 

Cold and calculating were what she saw.

~~~~~~

From all corners of the world, a select group of businessmen, politicians and world leaders met in secret. They were divided but united with one goal. The Instrumentality of Humanity. 

They were SEELE. The group who had manipulated the world from the shadows since ages past.

As one by one the huge monoliths appeared in the bleak room, SEELE -01 also know as Keel, waited patiently as the last monolith blinked into existence.

"I trust you know the reason why we are here today," Keel calmly stated. "I would like your views on it."

Grunts and voices of acknowledgement filled the air momentarily, before quieting down.

"The scenario didn't speak of a new child to be found." SEELE-07 broke the silence. "Ikari is pushing his luck to think that we will only idle at this…development."

"You forget that he is already deviating away from the original scenario as we speak." SEELE-02 said, irritation present in the cool digital voice. 

Keel quickly interjected to avoid the oncoming war of words. "Enough of that, we all know the reason why we let him do as he please…for now. Any suggestions to this problem?"

"I propose that we find more about this 'Sixth Child," SEELE-02 said. "His records are obviously fabricated recently."

"From my sources, its seems that the Sixth is actually the Third." SEELE-05 added gravely. Silence reigned for a moment. The calm before the storm ,one might say.

"Absolute nonsense!"

"The Third is dead as we all know!"

"You think Ikari is a god? We are giving him barely enough funds to just survive an air strike, let alone create a new set of clones! "

"Clone? The skies know how much time he invested to create the First."

The situation in the room heated up, before Keel promptly silenced them by clearing his throat. Seeing that he had their attention, he began.

"Whoever he may be, Third Child otherwise," Keel said, letting tension settle in the air. "We must get rid of this…obstacle in our plans. We vote now. Yay or Nay?" 

The room chorused in approval.

"Very well. This meeting is adjourned."

And the monoliths faded out of existence, until they were needed again.

~~~~~~

Author's notes:

First of all, I would like to apologize for the lengthy delay I posted this chapter up but school seems to take up quite a lot of my time. Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who has read or reviewed this. Without you all, I would have given up long ago. I already have the layouts for the next couple of chapters, so *hopefully* I would stop slacking and post them up on time.-_-

Looking back upon the previous chapters, I cringed. You got it. I cringed. I have decided to edit the whole lot of them. Which very likely won't begin until I post the next chapter up. I am a perfectionist, so sue ^_^.  

I know I have Anubuss and Jonathan Shim for the prereader thing but I need your email, Jonathan. For anyone else interested in prereading…please leave an e-mail address if you are interested.

Lastly, on a reminding note, read and review please!

Until next time, 

legacyZero.


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